CECA Communicates

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CECA Communicates CECA Communicates Issue 98 • June 2017 CECA Communicates CECA Publishes Manifesto for Post-Brexit Growth INSIDE THIS ISSUE: In April, Prime Minister Theresa May deliver the industrial strategy with a surprised the political world by calling construction sector deal, and rebalance 2 First Words a snap General Election. The UK will investment across the UK. CECA also 3 CECA Manifesto go to the polls on 8 June and CECA is calls on the next UK Government to working hard to ensure that the case protect the rights of EU construction 5 Stop. Make a Change. for investment in infrastructure as workers, protect the pound via public 7 Workload Trends the best means of driving growth in procurement, and commit to remote 8 Roads Sector the economy remains at the forefront offshore wind - investment in which of the next Government’s plans to could benefit Scotland’s island 9 HR Wallingford secure the economy when Britain economies by up to £725 million over 11 Smart Card Audit leaves the European Union. To these the next 25 years. CECA believes our 13 CSCS ends CECA has published Delivering proposals are the best routemap to Post-Brexit Growth, our manifesto growth, and will be making our case 16 BuildForce that calls on all parties to commit to in the coming weeks when the new 17 Data Saves Lives the existing infrastructure pipeline, Government is setting its agenda. 1 CECA Communicates First Words It is my pleasure to welcome you to this This is all the more important after issue of CECA Communicates, which findings from CECA’s Workload Trends is packed with articles on everything Survey (see page 7) suggest that CECA does to make the case for workloads are slowing and order books infrastructure investment, campaign have dipped into the red for the first for health and safety, and promote the time in four years. terrific work our members do. There is now a real danger that the It’s election season once again, as infrastructure sector could be at risk of Conservative Prime Minister made stagnation at exactly the time we need a surprise announcement of a snap it to be driving economic growth. CECA General Election, due to take place in a will be campaigning loudly to ensure matter of days. CECA has worked with that steps are taken to reverse this members to develop our manifesto, situation, by calling on all parties to Delivering Post-Brexit Growth, which commit to and build upon the existing sets out the policies we believe the infrastructure pipeline, and rebalance next UK Government must pursue investment across all regions and to secure the economy and drive the nations in the UK. growth businesses and communities have received feedback from so many will rely upon during and after our Also in this issue is an account of members who are acting to ensure our departure from the European Union. CECA’s Stop. Make a Change. campaign, industry changes for the better. CECA which took place at the end of April. looks forward to sharing best practice CECA believes that Brexit affords us an I’d like to take this opportunity to from the event with members over the opportunity to undertake important thank all those who took part in this coming months, as well as our plans for reforms to our industry, particularly in important initiative, which saw up to Stop. Make a Change in 2018. the sphere of procurement in the UK. 60,000 construction workers stop work Although there is no crystal ball to see to discuss the key topics of fatigue, Best wishes, how the country’s electoral landscape respiratory health, plant safety, and will be shaped after June 8, we believe mental health. that by campaigning strongly to ensure all parties are aware of the benefits Mental health and wellbeing are of infrastructure investment, the next subjects that even ten years ago UK Government will have the policies were not understood or acted upon CECA Chief Executive that will lead to growth clearly set out sufficiently in the construction Alasdair Reisner by an industry that is ready to deliver. sector. That’s why it’s gratifying to 2 2 CECA Communicates Delivering Post-Brexit Growth CECA Publishes Manifesto Ahead Of General Election CECA Calls On All Parties To Commit To Infrastructure Election season is in full flow, and as the UK prepares to go to the polls at the 2017 General Election, CECA has published Delivering Post-Brexit Growth, a manifesto that sets out the priorities we believe any incoming Government must urgently adopt in a drive to deliver economic growth during negotiations with the European Union, and after the Brexit process is complete. Commenting ahead of the manifesto’s publication, CECA Director of External Affairs Marie-Claude Hemming said: “We believe that irrespective of the results of the forthcoming General Election, all parties must commit to delivering long-term economic growth through infrastructure investment. “If we are to ensure that the UK remains an attractive place to live and work, the next Government must ensure the existing infrastructure pipeline is delivered, that investment in infrastructure continues to drive job creation and growth, and that steps are taken to rebalance the UK economy. At the same time, Britain’s future outside the European Union affords us the opportunity to implement procurement reforms that will deliver better value for the UK taxpayer. The next UK Government must ensure that the process of negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU must not cause a loss of focus in delivering the schemes needed to tackle congestion, keep the lights on, and drive connectivity in all parts of the UK.” “Any delay or changes to the existing projects that are outlined in the the next UK Government to continue pipeline of projects will unsettle the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, this approach in order to attract new markets and undermine business most notably HS2, the third runway business to the UK and support the confidence. This could discourage long- at Heathrow, the Swansea Bay Tidal growth of existing firms. Key to this will term investment in UK infrastructure, Lagoon, new nuclear power generation, be the implementation of an industrial which would be bad news for Britain’s and Crossrail 2. Work should also strategy. The construction sector has businesses and communities, and the continue to develop projects to add to historically suffered disproportionately strategic interests of the country as this pipeline to secure the future of the when the wider economy slows a whole.” UK economy, combating congestion down, and as such CECA has lobbied and providing energy security. Government to create the right The manifesto calls on the next UK conditions now to ensure the UK Government to: Deliver the industrial strategy continues to be a player in the global with a construction sector deal marketplace. Maintain and build upon the existing infrastructure project It is gratifying that all the main CECA believes any new Government pipeline political parties now recognise that must be bold and facilitate the investment in infrastructure is essential optimum environment for business and CECA believes that any incoming for economic growth. Ahead of the economic growth. A key element of our Government must commit to those General Election we have called for vision is the establishment of a sector 3 CECA Communicates deal for construction, overseen by the Construction Leadership Council. CECA will be campaigning hard to make this vision a reality, advocating that Government takes steps to facilitate stronger relationships with leading trade associations, including ourselves. Rebalancing investment across the UK It has been a long-established fact of British life that substantial underinvestment outside London and the South East is a key cause of everyday challenges on regional road and rail networks. This contributes in the long-term to reduced business investment, growth, and productivity. CECA is a keen advocate of rebalancing the economy. That’s why we’ve called on skills, with common understanding to reshape the UK’s procurement all parties to ensure that all nations and of training against industry-agreed landscape. With both the private regions across the UK must be given the standards. That’s why CECA is arguing and public sectors facing increased opportunity to become powerhouses that a key part of this must be the pressure on resources, procurement in their own right, enabling the entire immediate guarantee of the rights reform is vital if we are to continue country to substantially profit from of EU construction workers who are to deliver world-class infrastructure future economic growth. currently living in the UK, to ensure as an industry. that those who are helping to build the To this end, we are lobbying for future health of the UK economy can Commiting to remote onshore Government commitment to projects continue to do so post-Brexit. wind such as the completion of the A303 expressway, improved rail connectivity Finally, CECA has called on the next Protecting the pound via public for the South West region, and the UK Government to commit to remote acceleration of the ‘High Speed North’ procurement onshore wind generation as part of concept, including upgrades to the A1, a long-term energy strategy based A66, and A69. As contractors, you will know all too on a diverse energy mix. CECA has well that infrastructure procurement argued that one of the most notable Government must urgently in the UK has reached crisis point, with opportunities lies in future intermittent guarantee the rights of EU the public sector procurement process renewable generation from the remote workers living in the UK now the most expensive, and one of isles of the UK, which could benefit the lengthiest, in Europe.
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