UCATT Scotland
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Discovery of construction site death traps are no surprise, major rethink needed in safety inspection
News that the Health and Safety Executive have closed 10 out of 11 construction sites it visited in a recent blitz in Aberdeen is no surprise to construction union UCATT.
The high level of unsafe sites is replicated throughout Britain. While UCATT welcomes the HSE’s decision to target construction sites this month, it believes that it is only a sticking plaster in ensuring that construction bosses take safety seriously.
Harry Frew, UCATT’s Scottish Regional Secretary, said: “It is appalling that 10 out 11 sites have had to close but I’m also sorry to say that it is of no great shock to our union. Time and again the HSE announce that they are going to conduct a blitz of construction sites. Each time many sites are temporarily shutdown. But in the long term safety does not improve.”
UCATT believes that additional resources need to be spent on inspecting construction sites on a year round basis. When sites are found to be unsafe and are breaking health and safety laws a much higher number of prosecutions are need to take place. It is only by creating clear deterrents that construction bosses will be forced to make sites safer.
Mr Frew, added: “The HSE needs to stop giving construction bosses who are willing to play fast and loss with the lives of their workers, little more than a slapped wrist. If health and safety laws are broken, prosecutions must follow and those responsible removed from positions of authority.”
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Daily editions of Morning Star to hit Scotland
UCATT Regional Secretary Harry Frew today encouraged all UCATT members to support the daily publication of the Morning Star, the paper of trade unions and the left, following the news that the paper is finally to be delivered to newsagents daily in the Scottish Region.
Mr Frew said:
“I welcome the news that, despite political pressure, the paper has managed to find a daily delivery route in order to give Scots a chance to keep up to speed with vital news on working class politics.
“I hope that all UCATT members will support the paper which brings both national and international news of the struggle for workers rights and educates us all in doing so. All trade unionists should get out and get a copy to support the maintenance of the workers paper”
The paper will be available as News outlets, all those interested should order from their local newsagent.
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UCATT welcomes shift in Scottish housing policy
Construction trade union UCATT, gave a cautious welcome to the Scottish Government announcement to provide greatly increased funding for councils to increase the building of social housing.
Harry Frew Scottish Secretary said:
UCATT looks forward to seeing the proposals from the Scottish government to address the shortage of decent council housing.
Workers and their families are crying out for good quality homes.
While we welcome this as a first step in developing an efficient housing strategy to support Scottish workers housing concerns, any programme of investment to build new council homes must also lead to a boost in apprenticeships and construction opportunities for youngsters in our local communities across Scotland.
“Councils should be building thousands more homes each and every year.
They are great innovators and must become the catalyst of resolving Scotland’s housing crisis.”
Commenting on the proposals to suspend the right to buy for new build council housing, Mr Frew said the policy did not go far enough:
“UCATT believes that the complete suspension of Right Buy of all council housing alongside councils being allowed to develop municipal built and municipal let properties would ease the shortage of affordable homes.”
For Further information contact Harry Frew on 0141 420 2880
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Another young Scottish construction worker killed
UCATT Regional Secretary Harry Frew was shocked and saddened to hear of a young worker killed on a construction site in Troon, Ayrshire.
Mr Frew said: " UCATT sends its deepest condolences to the family of the young man. It is especially tragic when someone so young is killed in this way.
" We will await the results of the HSE investigation but it is clear from the recent fatality figures that the construction industry is just as dangerous as at the time of the major health and safety summits called by the government in 2001 and 2004, we hope the upcoming summit will bring about a cultural change in the industry to health and safety. This only adds to the figures of workplace fatalities spiralling out of control this year. This year construction deaths leapt by 31%.”
Last year 79 people were killed on construction sites and the HSE acknowledge that at least 70 per cent of those deaths are caused by management failures to take adequate health and safety measures.
Addressing the TUC Congress in Brighton this week, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain said that the Government would not tolerate the continued increase in construction deaths, and that nearly one in three refurbishment sites put workers lives at risk. The HSE closed down 244 of the sites immediately.
Mr Hain has called the construction industry, the Health and Safety Commission and the main trade unions to a special forum next week. This will be tasked to deliver an urgent action plan to reverse the unacceptable toll of rising death and injury in construction.