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23 hours ago
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Workers building the troubled Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor in Somerset have raised concerns that the construction site is overrun by rats.
The Unite and GMB trade unions are understood to have warned the developer, the French energy giant EDF, that urgent action is needed because the rodents are “everywhere”.
The growing vermin population has prompted fears over the health of the workforce building Britain’s first new nuclear power plant in a generation, which is running years late and billions of pounds over budget. A source on the site told the Observer: “They’re all over. You see them just sat there, looking at you. It is worse near the canteens, where I guess it started. But they are everywhere now.”
A second source confirmed that the trade unions had broached the issue with EDF, describing the number of rats on the site as “quite grim”.
“The more men working on the site, the more rubbish on the site – and the canteens are not clean either. It has just become worse over time,” the source added.
Around 3,000 more jobs will be created at Hinkley Point over the next 18 months, with about 15,000 people in total expected to work on the site as construction reaches its peak. Once built, the plant will be capable of powering 6m British homes, contributing 7% of UK electricity needs.
But EDF is under pressure to deliver the plant by the early 2030s after significant delays and spiralling costs have saddled the company with growing debts. Workers have claimed that the financial pressures faced by EDF have had a damaging impact on their working conditions and pay.
Hundreds of electricians, pipe fitters and welders downed tools in November in a row over security access to the site. The action short of a strike took place after workers claimed that only five fingerprint scanners were provided to allow entry for 13,000 workers on site. The claims were denied by EDF.
A small number of workers represented by the Prospect trade union downed tools twice late last year after complaints over pay. Prospect has also raised concerns over the use of cheap labour on the project. EDF said that, while some of its suppliers employ people from overseas, they expect all workers to be treated fairly and consistently.
EDF is in line to earn a fixed rate for the electricity generated by Hinkley’s reactors, paid for through energy bills, but only once the reactors begin operating. As a result, higher construction costs must be borne by the company, whose profits will ultimately suffer.
EDF warned last year that the final cost of the project could soar by a third, in a blow to its finances. It is also struggling to find new investors to help complete the work after its partner, Chinese nuclear company CGN, ruled out further investment.
CGN agreed to finance 33.5 per cent of the original costs of Hinkley Point but it has refused to make any further cash injections after the UK government blocked its involvement in EDF’s planned Sizewell C nuclear project over concerns about China’s participation in critical national infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Hinkley Point C said: “As is common across all large construction sites, there will be occasions when the presence of vermin is noted. A specialist company has carried out a survey and measures are in place to address the issue. We are committed to working alongside our trades union partners to provide the best environment for all of our workers.”
The GMB and Unite trade unions declined to comment.
