Builders seek jobs pledge from parties

COMMITMENTS THAT the jobs of some 100,000 people in the building industry will be safeguarded are being sought by the Construction Industry Federation.

The federation is also asking all political parties to produce plans to grow jobs in line with the “longer-term sustainable development” of the sector.

The organisation made the calls in communications to the main political party leaders in recent weeks.

The federation is expecting to review responses from the parties today, and is planning what it calls “on-the-ground engagements” in which employers in each county will contact candidates to discuss policy towards the industry.

In a separate initiative, federation vice-president Philip Crampton has asked political parties to advance “fair payments legislation”. Mr Crampton said the fair payments scheme was “a vital step in addressing the growing incidence of late payment, underpayment and non-payment to contractors and subcontractors within the construction supply chain”.

In a series of submissions to the party leaders, the federation acknowledged construction had grown to levels that were simply not sustainable, particularly in the period 2004 to 2007.

However, it argued the industry was now “significantly undershooting its optimum, leading to unnecessary job losses and erosion of essential long-term productive capacity”.

Federation president Matt Gallagher outlined the number of job losses in the sector as well as future likely losses. He said priorities of the incoming government should include:

* The establishment of a construction business council comprising representatives from the sector and government;

* A commitment to a reinvigorated public capital investment programme;

* Utilisation of alternative funding sources;

* Urgent implementation of a review of wage-setting mechanisms;

* Measures to address high business costs.