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Construction bodies issue guidance to clarify working practices during coronavirus crisis

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The newly-established Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) forum has provided clarity for the sector in Scotland following advice from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday 25 March that all building sites with the exception of any hospital work should close.

The group, made up of construction industry bodies including the professions, and which between them represent the majority of most professional bodies working in the industry in Scotland, has acted swiftly in an attempt to end the uncertainty around which works can be undertaken.

Spurred by concern about conflicting messages from the UK government about what construction work could be undertaken, the CICV has issued guidance to companies and employees as well as drafting an explanatory letter which can be issued to customers.

The action follows a strong appeal to the Scottish government by the CICV immediately after its inauguration to help with cashflow and protect construction jobs against the “crippling” background of coronavirus.

The forum is recommending to its members, which include many micro and small businesses, that they:

  • Follow the First Minister’s advice about closing non-essential building sites
  • Only carry out required repair and maintenance or any emergency work until further notice
  • Suspend other work such as building extensions, installing kitchens and bathroom suites or rewiring properties etc in the meantime.

The CICV, which was set up last week, now has 16 members, including the electrical contractors’ trade association SELECT, the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbers’ Federation (SNIPEF), the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA – Scotland), the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Scotland, the Scottish Building Federation (SBF), the Federation of Master Builders, the Scaffolding Association, the Stone Federation, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, the Electrical Distributors’ Association, the Builders Merchants Federation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Scottish Contractors Group and the British Constructional Steelwork Association.

SELECT managing director Alan Wilson represented the forum in a meeting this week with Fiona Hyslop, Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, during which he pressed for greater clarity on how the current working practices will affect tradespeople across Scotland.

The forum has also set up two working groups to deal with employment issues, led by Vaughan Hart, managing director of SBF, and a commercial group led by SNIPEF chief executive Fiona Hodgson.

Hodgson said, “This is a valuable response to a rapidly evolving situation. The mixed messages from government had created significant uncertainty and we hope that this new guidance will help employers, employees and customers to know where they stand.”

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