Foreign workers outnumber British on London sites

Forty percent of construction workers in London were migrants in 2006, up from just 21.5% in 2001, according to the latest Government figures.

Highlighting the impact that the dramatic influx of foreign workers is having on the industry, the Government select committee inquiry also found that nationwide the overall proportion of migrant construction workers in the UK has risen from 4.6% of the workforce in 2001 to 7.7% in 2006.

A spokesman for workers union UCATT told Contract Journal (CJ) that migrant workers are now the majority in the capital. ‘It’s possible that it has now topped 50% in London,’ he said. ‘The figures underline the complete failure of the construction industry totrain sufficient skilled domestic workers. We should welcome migrant workers as they play a key role in our industry, but they must not be seen as a cheap option,’ he added.

The news came as David Metcalf, head of the government’s new Migration Advisory Council, called for a rethink on the current ban on non-EU unskilled workers. He warned a House of Lords economic committee that UK companies may not be able to train enough construction workers in time for the London 2012 Olympics, and that the skills shortage could prevent the government from meeting its target of three million new homes by 2020, reported CJ.

In related news, Building magazine said the board of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme is considering plans to make migrant workers take its health and safety test in English.

Workers currently applying for CSCS competence cards are able to choose the language they take the test in, but the card does not show which was used. CSCS chief executive Brian Adams told Building that the scheme’s board was concerned that migrant workers with the card might not be able to understand English instructions or read health and safety notices. A 2006 report commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive found that migrant workers in industries including construction suffer more work-related accidents than those from the UK.

The CSCS is now seeking legal advice on whether an English-only test would contravene discrimination law, reported Building.