I see that the construction industry is undergoing an unprecedented program of change which will continue over the next 20 years, driven by environmental regulations, customer requirements, changing markets, economic factors, changing legislation and technological innovation. Many of these factors are already putting considerable pressure on the industry in the east of England, because of the current and forecast rate of growth in this region.
Quality design and quality construction are vital to the quality of life: in our homes, offices, shops and factories. They are vital to the quality of our urban environment, to the regeneration of urban communities, to the provision of schools, hospitals and infrastructure, to the quality of other public buildings and spaces; and they are vital to sustainable development. The construction industry has a key role to play in the future development of the economy of the east of England, and it is vital that its own development is supported to enable it to meet the challenges it will undoubtedly face in the next two decades.
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General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of B...
A rally of the trade union UNISON in Oxford during...As well as its economic significance, the construction industry is also a major employer. The majority of private contracting firms employ fewer than four people, but in terms of the value of work done, the industry is dominated by a small number of large companies.
The industry faces some fundamental challenges particularly the need to adopt a less confrontational attitude and work more within the concept of partnership arrangements. There has been concern about the poor-quality work done by 'cowboy builders', and the distress they cause for many years. A government-initiated quality scheme to provide customer assurance got off to a very slow start. A major challenge is the lack of skilled labor throughout the industry. Some companies consider that this is serious enough to be eliminating factor in...