Glasgow Housing Crises Should Spark Wider Debate

Harry Frew UCATT Regional Secretary today responded to the impasse that is the secondary stage Transfer of GHA Housing to Local Housing Organisations by questioning the whole idea of large-scale housing stock transfer.

Mr Frew said: “At time of the initial stock transfer UCATT fought this and warned that this would lead to further problems down the line for the tenants of Glasgow.

Mr Frew made his comments after the decision in the Scottish parliament last week to block the “second stage transfers” of Glasgow Housing Association. The decision which was passed on the casting vote of the parliament’s presiding officer, after the first vote was deadlocked at 60:60 throw the future direction of the project into doubt.

As a result of chronic under investment into council housing throughout the 1980’s by the then Conservative government, cities like Glasgow suffered and housing became unfit for tenants.

The solution would have been to allow Glasgow City Council funding to refurbish and replace the housing and for council tenants to remain within the local authority. The people of Glasgow were told that the transfer was the only show in town, this was the only way Glasgow would receive funding and rejection would result in no improvement in funding. They transferred because they believed it was the only route to home improvements.

Now we have a situation where once again tenants are being promised the olive branch of secondary stage transfer as a way of upgrading their homes to standard.  This is outrageous when all tenants wanted was homes fit for their families to live in.”

Mr Frew, added: “UCATT welcomes the new approach to housing from the Labour government and hopes that council housing is fit for the hard working people of Glasgow as well as offering opportunities for sustainable skilled employment if our youngsters.

Yet  Another construction fatality hits Scotland

UCATT Regional Secretary Harry Frew was shocked and saddened to hear of a young worker killed on a major construction site at the Earlsburn windfarm near Stirling. A 19 year old man died after falling 100ft while working inside a turbine.

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. This tragedy underlines the unacceptable level of deaths on the construction industry. Health and safety must become the number one priority”.

" We will await the results of the HSE investigation but it is clear from the recent fatality figures that the construction injury is just as dangerous as at the time of the major health and safety summits called by the government in 2001 and 2004.  UCATT will continue to pursue health and safety legislation that brings about a culture change in this industry."

He stressed: " This only adds to the figures of workplace fatalities which is spiralling out of control this year. Last year construction deaths leapt by 25%."

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.

"The continued scale of fatalities reinforces our demand for Corporate Killing legislation, " said Mr Frew.

A UCATT commissioned report has revealed that convictions of companies responsible for the death of construction workers have fallen by nearly three-quarters. The reports findings come at a time when construction deaths are rising.

The report Levels of Convictions and Sentencing Following Prosecutions Arising from Deaths of Workers and Members of the Public in the Construction Sector undertaken by the Centre for Corporate Accountability on behalf of construction union UCATT, has been published to coincide with Workers Memorial Day (April 28). It reveals that in a six-year period from 1998 to 2004 Health and Safety Executive prosecutions in construction deaths plummeted from 42 per cent to just 11 per cent. The study covered the deaths of 504 construction workers. It often takes over three years following the death of a construction worker before a company is brought to trial and convicted. 

For more information contact H Frew 0141 420 2880

Scottish Construction Employers must offer Sustainable Training Opportunities

Commenting on the severe skills shortage in the construction industry in Scotland, construction union UCATT, have warned that the economy will not benefit unless genuine training is provided.

The Construction industry is beset with severe skills shortages a situation set to worsen in the next five years, when many skilled workers will retire. UCATT believes that the solution is to increase the number of work based apprenticeships.

Harry Frew, UCATT Scottish Regional Secretary said: “It appears that many cheapskate building bosses would rather hire migrant workers who they can exploit, rather than train the Scottish workers of tomorrow.  For any skills strategy to support the construction industry the Government must force the employers to operate a far greater number of high quality apprenticeships schemes.”

Problems of training and apprenticeship are increased as many construction companies rely on bogus self-employment. Companies using such employment schemes do not train their staff.

Harry Frew, also said: “The government target to provide 500,000 apprenticeships for every young person who wants one is to be welcomed but unless there is a major change in attitude from the construction industry, demand will continue to massively outstrip supply in this sector.  For example, last year in Scotland out of over 11,000 initial apprenticeship applicants only 2,570 managed to find apprenticeships with employers.”

UCATT believes that apprenticeship is best carried out in the workplace with training to SVQ3 levels. College based training schemes are an inferior substitute.

For Further information contact H Frew Regional Secretary on 0141 420 2880

Scottish Pay Rates

Below is a list of pay agreements covering our members in Scotland. Click on the appropriate link for more information.

Please click here to find the current Scottish Painting Council rates.

Please click here to find the the current Mature Apprenticeship rates. 

Please click here to find the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council rates for the two year adult scheme.

Please click here to find the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council rates for apprentices.