Fighting for action
SELECT joins forces with other leading bodies to form the Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum
To help Members’ interests during the COVID-19 crisis, SELECT has joined 15 other leading bodies to form the Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum, pressing the Scottish Government to take action, help with cashflow and protect jobs.
The Forum – which represents the majority of contractor business in Scotland – has sent a letter to Fiona Hyslop, Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, urging her to support the Scottish construction sector. Members can also assist by lobbying their MSPs for their support.
In its hard-hitting letter, the group says: “What we need the Scottish Government to do, in this unprecedented time, is to use its influence with clients to ask that payments are accelerated as quickly as possible to ensure that the flow of cash will continue.
“It is also vital that clients ensure that payment must be cascaded down the supply chain to ensure that everyone who is legitimately due cash is paid more quickly. We would also request that all public sector clients immediately release any retentions due to boost cashflow in the sector.”
The Forum is also asking the government to allow public sector clients to:
Suspend the use of open tenders
Use the Quick Quote method of tendering where possible
Ask public sector clients to provide clarity on existing contracts and on the contractual position regarding delays
Keep the momentum going to ensure the industry survives.
Alan Wilson said: “If our industry is to survive this crisis, it is vital that government and public sector clients continue to procure a steady pipeline of work. We would urge the government to relax procurement rules and procedures in the short term to help industry and public sector clients overcome the inevitable issues all employers will face.”
The other members of the Forum include the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbers’ Federation, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, the Scottish Building Federation, the Federation of Master Builders, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, the Building Engineering Services Association, the Scaffolding Association, the Stone Federation and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors.
