Forced to look for new work

Unite has warned that many construction workers in Liverpool are facing a difficult time finding work after two high profile projects were halted following a fraud probe.

 

Last month Elliott Lawless the founder of the Elliot Group was arrested along with a senior official at Liverpool council as part of a fraud investigation. Both have been released on conditional bail without charge.

 

The Eliot Group is the developer on the £100m Aura student scheme as well as the Infinity scheme a 38 story residential tower in Leeds Street Liverpool.

 

Following the arrests the main contractor Vermont has announced that work has been suspended on both projects.

 

Unite regional officer John Sheppard said, “This is grim news for construction workers in Liverpool, who have received the dreaded tap on the shoulder and are now being forced to look for new work.

 

“This is a notoriously difficult time of the year to find new starts and the affected workers who believed they had relatively secure employment are now faced with the grim reality of trying to find new work at short notice,” he added.

 

“The two Eliot Group developments now join a long list of stalled construction projects in the city.

 

“The construction industry needs a kickstart in Liverpool and key stakeholders need to come together to get the stalled projects on track and construction workers back to work.”