Lobbyist defends deadly construction practice
Lobbyist defends deadly construction practice
The 'disgraceful and outrageous' comments on safety made by a construction industry leader have been condemned by the chair of a government committee and trade unions. UK Contractors Group director Stephen Ratcliffe dismissed an official inquiry's call for a crackdown on illegal employment in construction, saying the industry could regulate itself. He said there was 'no justification' for the extension of Gangmasters Licensing Act to the sector - despite this being a key recommendation last week of the Donaghy inquiry on construction fatalities. Work and pensions committee chair Labour MP Terry Rooney branded his claims 'disgraceful and outrageous.' He said: 'We have had 35 years of so-called self-regulation and we're still killing over 70 people a year in the construction industry.' He added: 'Bogus self-employment is rife in the construction industry and it is all employer driven. It is profit against worker safety and it is not on.' Unite deputy general secretary Jack Dromey said: 'Rogue gangmasters put life and limb at risk, flout employment rights and rip off the taxpayer. Rogues also undermine reputable employers. Extending the remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Agency will make building sites safer, protect building workers and benefit the public purse by ending tax-dodging.' And Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'The government did not take early action on regulating gangmasters because they accepted the distortions made by Stephen Ratcliffe and construction bosses, that casualised labour was not a problem in the construction industry. Rita Donaghy has seen through these fantasies and recognised what is really happening in the industry.' He said the construction lobby's leader 'should hang his head in shame.'
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