Manchester City Council has pledged to work with Unite, Britain and Ireland’s biggest union, to stand up for the city’s construction workers and outlaw poor construction practices on building projects under its control.
Manchester City Council is the latest local authority to sign up to Unite’s Construction Charter. The Charter leads the way in best practice by ensuring building contractors and sub-contractors under the control of the local authority provide good jobs, good apprentice training, excellent health and safety and that they ensure workers are paid the going rate for the industry.
Construction firms planning to work on Manchester City Council building projects will now need to adhere to the new Construction Charter. It means that projects across the city including the ongoing work at Manchester Airport and Manchester Town Hall will meet the highest standards for workers employed on the projects.
Unite’s regional coordinating officer for construction, Andy Fisher said: “By signing up to Unite’s Construction Charter, Manchester City Council is making a serious commitment to securing the best employment standards for construction workers.
“The Charter will protect workers from poor industry practices which result in the loss of employment rights, it stops blacklisting and means workers can raise health and safety issues without fear.
“It’s fantastic news that one of the UK’s major cities has pledged to lead the way and demand the highest standards in construction. It means that projects across the city including the ongoing work at Manchester Airport will need to meet the highest employment standards. Unite representatives at Manchester City Council deserve a special thanks for the work they did to help get the Charter up and running.”
Councillor Carl Ollerhead said: “Manchester City Council has ambitious plans for the city and we are delighted to work with Unite to ensure that our construction projects meet the highest standards for workers and for residents.
“The council has a number of important development projects in progress including the renovation of Manchester Town Hall and the Factory project. The Charter means that workers and residents can be confident that these projects will move forward with ethical construction practices.
Councillor Ben Clay said: “I am extremely pleased that our Council has taken this positive step which will undoubtedly help to protect the terms and conditions of construction workers within Manchester. The solidarity and encouragement to make this happen has come not only from our construction branch but from community activists and public sector members within the city and reaffirms the vital bond of the Labour Party with our trade union comrades.”
