Unite the Union is to hold meetings in Aberdeen and Dundee on Monday to offer legal support to jobless Stewart Milne Group (SMG) workers.
The Aberdeenshire-based construction company collapsed into administration earlier this week.
A total of 217 jobs were shed, while 112 employees are being retained as SMG is wound down.
According to Unite, workers were given no prior warning of the redundancies.
Legal action proposed over Stewart Mile Group’s ‘failure’ to properly consult workers
The union is “actively exploring” legal action over the Westhill-headquartered company’s “failure to consult the workforce or Unite in a redundancy situation”.
Where firms fail to follow the correct process, employment tribunals can make “protective” awards worth from 45 days to 90 days of full pay.
Unite is inviting ex-SMG workers to come along and discuss “protective award claims and further legal support”.
The first of Monday’s meetings is at the Apex Hotel in Dundee from 10.30am-12.30-pm.
Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom, on Beach Boulevard, will host the second session from 2.30pm-5pm.
Unite represents more than 60 tradespeople at the failed construction company.
They worked at locations throughought Scotland.
Unite general-secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Unite will do everything possible to support the Stewart Milne Group workers. The company has treated its loyal workforce disgracefully.”
It is feared hundreds more workers in the supply chain may now lose their jobs.
Unite has called on the Scottish Government and local authorities to “urgently” work with it to explore how those made redundant can be found suitable alternative employment on public procurement contracts.
Pace webinars today and Tuesday
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (Pace) team – set up to respond to redundancy situations – will host worker support webinars at 2pm today (January 12) and 10am on Tuesday.
Unite has criticised this approach, saying the hosting of webinars “fails to understand the nature of the construction industry”.
Many construction workers have reading and writing difficulties, not to mention IT proficiency challenges, the union said.
It called for in-person public meetings, organised by PACE and the Scottish Government, to fully support the sacked workers.
John Clark, industrial officer with the union, said: “Unite will be stepping up our efforts to provide legal support for the Stewart Milne Group workers by hosting these meetings in Aberdeen and Dundee.
“We are crystal clear that the company has acted in a potentially unlawful way, and these events will help our members make protective award claims.”
He added: “It’s also extremely disappointing to discover Pace will be hosting two webinars instead of physical events.
“We hope this is immediately reviewed because it fails to understand the nature of the construction industry and the proficiency challenges which many workers face.”
Face-to-face Pace events expected to take place within weeks
A Scottish Government spokesperson told The Press and Journal last night webinars were “the fastest possible way to offer immediate support, assurance and information”.
The Pace team is “working urgently” to establish in-person events in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee in the coming weeks, they added.
Read more: All our stories on the collapse of Stewart Milne Group
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