Campaigning for construction

Unite members working in the construction products and materials industry highlighted the challenges facing the sector at a packed fringe meeting at the Labour Conference in Liverpool yesterday (28 Sept).

As part of a “Reindustrialising the Regions” event organised by the Construction Products Association (CPA) to launch the “Protecting and Growing the Construction Products Sector” campaign Unite speakers joined with the TUC in highlighting the vital role that the sector has in building the UK economy and providing skilled jobs.

The meeting was chaired by James Naish MP and attended by Leigh Ingram MP.

Lewis McAulay is a Unite Senior representative at British Gypsum and chairs Unite’s Construction Products and Materials Forum.

Lewis addressed attendees at the event, outlining the concerns many in the sector have about the need for investment and a commitment to buy local materials and products for the UK’s construction projects and saying that it “must not become another industry which is left to wither and slowly fade”.

Lewis said, “I think it’s fair to say that we’re at a crossroads in the construction products and materials sector.

“Unite has thousands of members working in our sector across the UK, predominantly in the midlands and the north of England, and our members hear the warm words of this government, committing to re-industrialisation and delivering growth in every post code.

“But the reality is that our sector faces slow growth, high energy costs and rising challenges from cheap imports. This has resulted in our members’ jobs being put at risk and already hundreds of job losses across cement, bricks and gypsum products.”

Lewis explained that this means highly skilled and well paid jobs are being lost in the regions where the government has promised to deliver growth.

Lewis went on to say, “So now is the time to act, to ensure jobs are protected, our sector expands and we continue to deliver high paid, high skilled, regional jobs.

“To do this it’s clear that we must address public procurement so that buying UK construction products is prioritised. We must receive the same support as other sectors to help with clean energy transitioning and energy costs, we must receive a fair and level playing field when competing with imported construction products, with a new robust carbon border adjustment mechanism.

“And we must see a commitment from the government to work with us to deliver the high skilled vocational apprenticeships which they now see as a priority.

The construction products and materials sector must not become another industry which is left to wither and slowly fade, as we’ve seen in steel.

“Now is the time to act.”

Joining Lewis in explaining that the time for talking has ended and that their members in the industry needed urgent action were Ian Sparrow Unite senior rep at ETEX Bristol and Craig Scragg Unite rep at Heidelberg. 

Following the event both James Naish MP and Leigh Ingram MP agreed to take the concerns back to the construction minister, Blair MacDougall, and impress upon them that the trade unions and employers association need urgent intervention to support UK producers and to prevent the market being undercut by imports.

They will also stress that changes are needed to government procurement policy to support the use of UK products in government funded projects.

Unite national officer Adam Oates added, “This was a very productive meeting, with fantastic presentations and contributions from Unite reps working across the sector.

“The government needs to act to protect our members’ jobs, there was overwhelming support for the campaign and to protect UK workers and supply chains.

The campaign is building on the launch at the Labour Conference with a Parliamentary Reception in mid October which will explain to MPs why UK made construction materials should be central to the housebuilding programme and wider infrastructure projects.

By Keith Hatch