UNITE CHALLENGES CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO SPELL OUT TRAINING PLANS
In the midst of a widening skills crisis , the construction industry must spell out how it will train more British workers to avoid a calamitous Brexit for the sector , Unite - the UK ’ s construction union - has said .
Unite made the call as trade bodies warned that house builders in particular , faced a cliff edge in terms of its access to EU workers post-Brexit . The trade bodies have called for more details of the government ’ s plans to implement a two-year grace period for EU citizens looking to apply for settled status and for a post-transitional migration system , based on key occupations where workers are in short supply .
But Unite said it was time the industry demonstrated that rather than relying on cheap labour and exploitative working practices , it was committed to training home grown talent through the provision of high quality apprenticeships ensuring all construction workers are directly employed in secure jobs .
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said : “ The ongoing uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens to remain in the UK is resulting in workers leaving the UK and is exacerbating the deepening construction skills crisis and threatening to seriously damage the industry .
“ But those trade bodies need to set out what they intend to do to kick their addiction to cheap , foreign labour and horrific employment practices , not just ask how they can go on relying on EU labour after March 2019 .
“ Tens of thousands of young people are being placed in ‘ dead end ’ classroom based construction courses and these courses totally dwarf the number of construction apprentices beginning their training .
“ This is at the same time that the CITB plans to cease providing training directly and instead divest courses to other training providers . It is clear that the industry needs to get its house in order .
“ Unite is renewing its call on the industry to work with us to ensure that major construction projects train high numbers of apprentices . Unite will kick down doors to ensure that the number of high quality apprenticeships increases .
“ Unite is committed to fighting for the right of EU citizens already in the UK to remain , and for the establishment of safeguards that defend all workers against wage cutting , including ending the exploitation of migrant workers , and stronger collective bargaining rights .”
For more information , visit www . unitetheunion . org
Imperial College London undertook work for the International Aids Vaccine Institute in the rooms it occupied in the same laboratory suite . Imperial College London rented the room and owned the liquid nitrogen store there .
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) into the incident , which occurred on 23 October 2011 , found the local exhaust ventilation provided to extract dangerous substances , such as liquid nitrogen , had been switched off .
The investigation found that Mr Bowen ’ s death could have been prevented if the extraction system had been switched on .
Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 ( 1 ) and Section 2 ( 1 ) of the Health and Safety at Work etc . Act 1974 , was fined £ 80,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £ 23,069.19 .
Imperial College London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 ( 1 ) and Section 2 ( 1 ) of the Health and Safety at
Work etc . Act 1974 , was fined £ 70,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £ 23,069.19 .
Judge Michael Grieve QC said the fines were lower than sentencing guidelines because the companies are not private profit making institutions and provide a public service .
After the hearing , HSE inspector Anne Gloor said :
“ Liquid nitrogen , rapidly expands as a gas , replacing the oxygen in a room and creating a situation where life cannot be sustained .
“ Mr Bowen was working alone with liquid nitrogen in a small room without any extraction . If the extraction system had been switched on , Mr Bowen would not have died . There should have been a system in place to prevent the extraction being switched off , a proper system of maintaining the equipment and clear arrangements for preventing lone working with liquid nitrogen ”.
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