Protestors gathered outside a Haverton Hill waste recycling facility to voice concerns over jobs at a major new power plant.
Representatives from the Unite, GMB and UCATT unions protested outside the Sita plant close to the Portrack interchange on Friday morning.
They followed previous protests at the Wilton International Site near Redcar over the rate of pay given to foreign workers at the new £250m Sita facility.
Tony Seaman, a Unite activist, said that around 200 tradesman took part in the demonstration - which caused tailbacks on Haverton Hill Road heading back to the A19 and saw a number police vans turn up to try and control traffic.
Mr Seaman, 45, a scaffolder from Park End, said: “We are protesting about the amount being paid to foreign workers on the job.
“There has been a perception that we are against foreign workers - we are not - we’re simply against the fact that we are told they are being paid less than nationally agreed rates.
“They are being paid £2,000 a month and having £600 accomodation and £100 travel expenses taken out. But the minimum that workers in England should receive is £14 an hour, and the NAECI rates are £19 an hour.
“Low pay prices local workers out of the job and affects employment on Teesside.”
Micky Blench, left, and Tony Seaman holding the flags
But a spokesman for Sita said that the company are paying the correct, nationally agreed rates to its employees.
He said: “The allegations are just not true, and it is disappointing that after we have confirmed this time and again, these protests continue.
“We have stated on a number of occasions that more than two thirds of our workforce are from the UK and all of them have rates of pay equal to or higher than the nationally agreed rate of pay.
“That is a fact.”
The spokesman confirmed that they have been in dialogue with unions for some time and have arranged for representatives to go on site at Wilton on Tuesday and Thursday next week to speak to workers.
Officers from Cleveland Police were in attendance at Friday’s protest - and a spokeswoman says that more officers were called when protestors blocked traffic on Haverton Hill Road.
Mr Seaman said there were “about 15 police vans” at the protest.
He said: “We were filmed by police, and we were filmed at a protest in Wilton as well. It was heavy handed.”
A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: “Initially two traffic cars attended the area around the SITA waste disposal and recycling centre on Haverton Hill to minimise any risk of harm to road users and prevent any conflict between road users and protesters.
"This was a spontaneous protest and no notification was given to the police to assist with contingency planning, no one from the protesters came forward as an organiser to work with the police.
"As a result severe traffic congestion was caused by protestors standing in the road to hand leaflets to drivers and stopping drivers themselves.
“When asked to move from the road onto the pavement, the protestors refused. This obviously caused concern for the safety of the protestors, the safety of road users and members of the public.
"Congestion as it was this morning poses a risk to all, due to preventing access for emergency services should the immediate need arise.
“Extra resources were then deployed to the site to respond to these issues and the protestors then became compliant.
"Officers were also able to ensure that the tailbacks which were heading towards the A19 were reduced and no arrests were made.
“Filming is a common tactic used in situations where there are large numbers of people gathered in order to monitor the behaviour of a crowd.
"It can moderate the behaviour of individuals and captures evidence wherever needed. It does not prevent or restrict a lawful peaceful protest.”
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