Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try in union wrangle over Aberdeen bypass

Trade unions have called for an investigation into "lethal" working hours demanded at a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try to build Aberdeen's new ring road.

The venture has advertised for workers to operate for 15 hours a day or 80 hours a week on the delayed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, trade title Construction News found.

One job advert called for a wheeled excavator driver to work "up to 15 hours a day plus weekends for 10-15 weeks", with another seeking two drivers to work for "70-80 hours a week for a six to eight week period".

The Unite union called on the Scottish government to launch an immediate investigation, with concerns about flouting of working hours regulations and the proper monitoring of working hours reported directly to Transport Scotland on Wednesday.

Formerly involving the since-collapsed Carillion, the £745m Aberdeen bypass project was expected to have been completed this summer, with Scottish economy secretary Keith Brown assuring the government earlier this year that assistance would be provide to both contractors to ensure the project was completed on time.

“The latest revelations about the Aberdeen bypass project are disgusting, such long hours are lethal," said Unite regional co-ordinating officer Steve Dillon. "Workers cannot work safely undertaking such long hours, this is exactly how mistakes occur and too often result in tragic accidents."

He said as well as an immediate investigation, it may be necessary to stop the work to ensure that safe, legal processes are in place.

“The rush to finish this already delayed project must not in any way be at the expense of workers’ safety or conditions.

“Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try must be held fully accountable for these adverts, it is their project and they can’t try to pass the blame onto others. To suggest they don’t know what is happening on their own site is simply not acceptable.”