UCATT Renews Calls For Gangmasters Act To Extend To Construction After Fresh Abuses Revealed

Construction union UCATT are renewing their calls for the Gangmasters Act to be extended to construction after an investigation by The Observer revealed that workers on the East London line extension were being exploited.

The Observer discovered that a group of workers employed for a period of a year on the East London Line extension were being paid just £50 a day, far below industry minimum rates, while their gangmaster made excessive profits.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “The level of exploitation occurring on the East London Line was outrageous. It is very disturbing that this level of abuse went unchecked for such a long time. The highly fragmentated nature of the construction industry allows principal contractors, to turn a blind eye, about the working conditions on their sites.”

UCATT have long campaigned for the extension of the Gangmasters Licensing Act to cover the construction industry. If the Act were extended Gangmasters and employment agencies could only supply labour once they had met a series of minimum conditions, including checks concerning financial probity and health and safety. The Gangmasters act currently only covers agriculture, food processing, shellfish collection and forestry.

Mr Ritchie, added: “Sadly until the Gangmasters Act is extended to the construction industry, unscrupulous employers will continue to be able to exploit their workforce.”

In July this year Rita Donaghy in her Government sponsored report into construction safety, One Death is Too Many, recommended that the Gangmasters Act be extended to the construction industry. Ms Donaghy argued that the extension of the Gangmasters Act was vital because: “The further down the sub-contracting chain one goes the less secure the worker and the less satisfied with the management of health and safety on site. Society should accept that there needs to be a standard below which no construction worker should have to work.”

The Government has not yet issued a formal response to Ms Donaghy report, this is expected shortly after Parliament returns following the summer recess.

In July 2008 UCATT revealed that a group of ganged workers employed on a PFI Hospital site in Mansfield, were being paid just £8.80 for a 40 hour week.

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