Union in building trade plea

A leading union is urging the Scottish Government to do something about the challenges facing the country’s construction sector.

As reported yesterday, Paisley- based Lambert construction firm collapsed with more than 80 people facing redundancy.

Unite Scotland said it will be meeting with workers to discuss their legal options.

The collapse follows the construction giant Carillion going into liquidation, affecting 20,000 jobs across the UK.

Unite regional coordinating officer, Stevie Dillon said: “It’s high time the Scottish Government intervened and legislated before more companies go to the wall.

“Too often, indeed on every major construction i n f rastructure job of significance across Scotland, Unite has discovered that the workforce responsible for building these vital resources are being ruthlessly exploited by a myriad of construction contractors and agencies that utilise umbrella companies in order to absolve companies and agencies from responsibilities to both employees and the state.”

Unite is campaigning for a Construction Charter which is being supported by some local authorities across Scotland.

The c h a r t e r, if implemented, would ensure the development of a positive approach to procurement across the public sector.