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Dozens of skilled but unemployed construction workers are gathering outside the E.ON power station on the Isle of Grain on Wednesday to protest over the use of foreign labour in the UK.

A gas-fired plant is being built at the site by lead contractors Alstom but the trade union Unite, which has organised the demonstration, claims the company is using two sub-contractors who are refusing to consider local labour.

But the company insists its recruitment policy is fair.

A statement released by Unite says: "At the Isle of Grain, two sub-contractors have refused to consider applications for work from UK-based labour. Unite estimates that the two sub-contractors will require 450 workers over the lifetime of the project. Alstom has been contracted by E.ON to build the power station.

"Unite is calling on the Government to insist that companies applying for contracts on public infrastructure projects, sign up to Corporate Social Responsibility agreements which commit to fair access for UK Labour."

Alstom says it has about 15 sub-contractors working at Grain, the overwhelming majority of which are British, with only two being non-UK companies.

A spokesman said: "We always give British firms and workers an equal chance to bid for work on the project. We do not and will not discriminate."

Around 30 protesters gathered around the site from around 7am this morning.

Derek Simpson, Unite's joint general secretary, said: "Unemployed construction workers are asking for fairness, not favours.

"UK-based labour must be given a fair chance to get a cut of the action to build a new generation of UK power stations.

"As the protest takes place on the Isle of Grain the Unite union will hand in a petition to Downing Street calling for UK workers to be given fair access to work on British construction jobs.

Union leader Derek Simpson will lead the delegation after thousands of construction and engineering workers signed the petition, many of whom are currently out of work.

The petition also calls for migrant construction workers to receive fair pay when working on projects in the UK.

It is believed that there will be between 50 and 200 protestors present at the site. Medway Police say they will be ready to deal with any problems.

Ch Insp Iain Mackenzie said: "We have been made aware that a peaceful protest is planned to take place at the Alstom site in Grain.

"If anything is brought to our attention we will act swiftly and aim to keep disruption to local residents to a minimum."