New Report Reveals the Exploitation and Vulnerability of the Construction Workers
The Hidden Workforce Building Britain, a report published by UCATT shows that the construction sector is very competitive with many rogue companies trying to manipulate the rights of construction workers and misuse them. The study findings claim that workers are very commonly exploited by their employers in the construction sector.
The published report is a collaboration of two distinct segments, giving a detailed explanation about exploitation of construction workers as well as telling about how these vulnerable members can be protected. The first segment: Easy Pickings: Vulnerable Workers and Exploitation in the Construction Industry, deals on how the construction workers are exploited by their employers, by citing detailed cases of incidents suffered by the interrogated construction workers. It also includes instances of labourers standing by the car park area with an intention to be employed. These labourers would toil the entire day, only to be offered cash, which is less than the NMW. The second segment: Regulation and the Vulnerable Worker describe how these construction workers have become vulnerable in spite of the rules and regulatory body to protect them. The rules and the enforcement body are found to be ineffective to safeguard the employee’s rights in the current scenario.
The report in addition to delving into the unknown dark areas of the construction sector also gives some suggestions to put an end to the mistreatment of workers occurring in the construction sector. The report strongly advocates for the need to form a solitary autonomous labour inspectorate in UK. The report referred to an already designed model by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to be made as a reference for this labour inspectorate including all manufacturing sectors. This labour inspectorate should be permitted enough resources so that inspection levels can be raised to carry on huge clampdowns on companies that manipulate their workers.
Speaking on the comprehensive report published by the UCATT, its Acting General Secretary, and George Guy stated that the report sheds light into the unknown and dark areas existing in the construction sector. The time has come for the Government and the companies to agree to this depressing reality about how the construction sector is functioning presently. However only an effectual rule made by a dominant enforcement body can stop this manipulation continuing in the construction sector.
NEBOSH qualifications and certifications can be obtained from courses offered by Workplace Law. The NEBOSH Construction Certificate is specially designed for managers, supervisors and CDM coordinators within the construction industry who are responsible for safe practice on-site.
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