Bear Scotland, an Anglo- Franco-American joint venture between Breedon, Vinci Construction and Jacobs, has contracts to 聽look after approximately 60% of Scotland鈥檚 trunk road network.
Bear Scotland employees in Inverness have rejected a pay offer that takes the lowest hourly pay band up from 拢12 an hour to 拢12.75. The pay offer to other key grades rises by only one pound per hour including the highest grade from 拢13.25 to 拢14.25.
According to the employees鈥� trade union, Unite, similar maintenance workers at other local companies earn to 拢16.00 per hour. 聽The national minimum wage is currently 拢12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 or older.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite鈥檚 members based in Inverness who work every day in every type of weather, are being paid at an unacceptably low level.
鈥淏ear Scotland is a profitable company, and it can easily afford to pay our members a decent rate. We will back our members all the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.鈥澛犅�
Bear Scotland Limited in its latest accounts for the year ending 2024 posted a 拢3.7m profit. The Inverness unit is responsible for the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness, which is gradually being upgraded from single to dual carriageway, with 拢3.7bn investment planned by 2035.
Unite industrial officer Marc Jackson said: 鈥淭he workers are essential to one of the nation鈥檚 key transport infrastructure upgrades, yet they are being treated poorly by Bear Scotland and paid well below workers at other maintenance companies.
鈥淭his cash rich company needs to get back round the negotiating table with an improved pay offer. If they don't heed this advice, then industrial action during the bad weather when these workers are needed the most will be inevitable and entirely Bear Scotland's fault.鈥澛犅�
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