Construction Industry And The European Union

EDM number 1366 in 1994-95, proposed by Joan Ruddock on 10/07/1995.

That this House is concerned at the increasing number of construction workers seconded to work in European Union countries who fall victim to exploitation, inferior living and working conditions, lower wages and minimal or non-existent health and safety requirements; notes that in the majority of EU countries there is a complete lack of monitoring or supervision relating to the employment of seconded workers, thereby enabling unscrupulous agencies to avail themselves of loopholes in international legislation; notes also that the explosion in self-employment and casualisation within the construction industry is costing the UK economy ú14 billion a year in lost revenue; recognises that the severe skills shortage in the industry is exacerbated by the sharp decline in training for young people and adults; believes the cumulative effects of deregulation, casualisation and exploitation are detrimental to all countries concerned through poor quality workmanship and the loss of legitimate tax and social insurance revenues; supports the Blankenberge Declaration agreed by the British, Belgian, French, Irish and Dutch trade union representatives on 3rd December 1994; and calls on the Government to legislate to provide guarantees that minimum labour conditions and training provision apply to British construction workers, and to negotiate within the European Union to ensure that national agreements in all host countries be applied to guest workers from Britain and elsewhere with appropriate monitoring to ensure their implementation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 66 MPs.