Why not Diversity in Construction in Britain the example of Heathrow Terminal 5

1
Why not Diversity in Construction in
Britain?the example of Heathrow Terminal 5

• Professor Linda Clarke

2
Situation in London Construction Industry

• Skill Shortages 50 companies experiencing
  difficulties
• Forecast skilled manual labour requirement per
  annum 2007-11 Greater London 5,520 (only
  1,500 through current levels of training
  provision)
• BAME unemployment in London 11.7, white
  population 5.2

3
Diversity in Construction

• Ethnic minorities in construction 2.8, in
  economically active population 7
• BAME in London 30 working population, only
  12.4 in building trades
• Women 10.2 in construction, less than 1 in
  manual trades
• Disabled 6.7 long term limiting illness (13
  long term disability - high limb problems,
  heart, blood pressure/circulation) architects
  5.2, skilled manual 6.7, labourers 10.1

4
Discrimination legislation

• Employer obligation not to discriminate on basis
  of sex, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or age
• Positive discrimination possible for disabled
  (reasonable adjustment)
• Positive action possible e.g. targetted training
  provision where shortages
• Employer liability for discrimination by those
  acting on their behalf e.g. subcontractors ?
  require EO policies

5
Labour mobility in construction

• Survey 8,000 London construction workers 2005
• 40 from London South-East
• 7 from East of England
• 10 from Ireland
• 20 outside Britain
• Current construction migrants estimates (rising)
• 110,000 foreign nationals 2006
• 7 foreign born
• 4 foreign nationals

6
Heathrow Terminal 5

• Employment 8,000 at peak
• Assessments OH 1,000 per month 2005, c400
  HS inductions per week
• Laing ORourke 2,500 at peak (now 600)
• AMEC (ME) 400 white collar, 600 blue collar
  1,200
• 2006 1,800 electricians, plumbers, heating
  ventilating engineers

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Local vs Migrant labour

• Few women e.g. electricians
• BAME c 10 (e.g. 200 Punjabi carpenters,
  Gravesend)
• Disability 7,000 screened in safety critical
  occupations, - c25 medical problem (especially
  hypertension), - 2,000 lifestyle-related
  problems
• Local Labour strategy BAA commitment,
• but only 150 over 3 years (13 weeks in
  employment), 3 women, 30 BAME ?limited impact
• Itinerant labour force - Travellers (75km)
  mechanical electrical c50, construction
  c70 (Wales, Scotland, north, Midlands) -
  Migrants e.g. German, Polish, Portuguese,
  Czech, Croatian

8
Training problems

• Skills centre BAA support, CITB run, traditional
  apprentices c 50 capacity (planned 80 local,
  p.a.).NVQ2
• On-site training e.g. language numeracy, OSAT
• Construction Learning World accredits standards,
  OSAT
• Actual apprenticeships e.g. T5 major contractor
  1250/1000
• Company training generally - e.g. 2005 London
  survey ? less ? firms training plans, c30
  construction workers qualified to NVQ2 - MA
  national BAME 1 in 2,000
• Local Further Education colleges BAA support,
  committee BAA, LSC and FE e.g. 18 week training
  courses for locals
• Nearby FE collegec300 constr. trainees (ICA), 6
  women, 17 BAME
• London FE college constr. trainees 35 BAME 9
  women BUT problems obtaining work experience

9
T5 Recruitment Skills Problems

• Appropriateness of trad. training in FE, Skill
  Centre
• Skill requirements e.g. groundworks, fitting
  out
• Wider occupational profiles (multi-skilling)
  ?facilitating mobility/relocation reduced
  turnover e.g. groundwork steel-fixing, plant
  operation, scaffolding, paving, drainage,
  banking, concreting NB German multi-skilled,
  GB single-skilled
• Recruitment criteria skills security (not
  qualifications), in practice often
  word-of-mouth agency i.e. not proactive EO
• CSCS test centre 28 days, 3 attempts, geared to
  skilled migrant recruitment

10
Employment conditions

• Direct employment no self-employment (40 SE UK)
  e.g. main contractor 70 DE ME contractor 60
  DE, 40 contract workers (agency)
• Long hours site hours 7am-7pm weekdays, 7am-4pm
  Sats normal 50 (WTD opt out) travel time
  (min. 2 hours)
• Different rates lack pay harmonisation e.g.
  lower wages for E. European, multi-skilled
  German supervisors can be less than supervised
• Collective agreements major projects agreement,
  few disputes/days lost
• High employee/TU involvement high membership
  presence e.g. important for HS

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Working Conditions

• Diversity policy no positive discrimination
  awareness diversity training
• Health safety great effort, testing training
  e.g. Incident Injury Free programme
• Occupation Health Scheme identify treat
  problems (e.g. stress), change behaviours cf.
  disability wide meaning e.g. obesity,
  hypertension lower status worse problems
  (esp.itinerant life-style) safety critical work
  face-to-face assessment training gang members
  to spot problems
• Less disabling site .e.g. 1 fatality injuries
  (e.g. eye, hand), many preventive measures e.g.
  pausing, tool checking, redesigning work

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Conclusions

• Forces of inclusion efforts to encourage
  diverse workforce, train local labour, regulate
  develop skills good employment/working
  conditions e.g. direct employment, collective
  agreements, TU role, OH, HS controls/ checks
• Results disappointing i.e. poor
  apprentice/training local labour record, lack
  work experience for college-based trainees,
  predominantly white male travelling migrant
  workforce, few locals, high levels disability
• Obstacles appropriate training lack work
  experience places recruitment means working
  hours i.e. structured for itinerant workforce
• Alternatives e.g. training sites, multi-skilled
  training, targeted recruitment, WTD hours,
  integration disabled