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Site union gets casual work commitment
Construction union UCATT has said a blueprint to tackle casualisation in the building industry has been agreed a Labour's policy review. The union says it was able to persuade the government at the National Policy Forum meeting in Warwick last weekend that 'issues such as soaring death rates, endemic casualisation and a low levels of skills training must be addressed.' Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'Significant progress was made at Warwick. The government now accepts that the construction industry is a special case. Once the proposals are finalised and enacted, there will be the genuine prospect of creating a robust industry fit for the challenges of the 21st century.' Rumours that the government has agreed to UCATT's demand that the Gangmasters Licensing Authority scope be extended to the construction sector caused alarm in the recruitment industry. Tom Hadley, director of external relations with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), said: 'The REC is keen to ensure that construction recruitment agencies work to the highest standards. But with the enforcement of employment agency rules just being overhauled, it would be foolish to look to new solutions before the impact of the current changes has even been felt.' REC said the recruitment industry is concerned that extending licensing 'would just add extra cost to legitimate agencies whilst ignoring the minority of rogue operators who break all the rules.'
Briefing document (300 words) issued 1 Aug 2008
