The UK was one of many countries to suffer as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with output within this space depreciating by 3.1% through 2020.
This reversed the 3.1% projected growth in the market that was forecast prior to Covid-19, while the decline was even more marked across Western Europe at a worrying 7.3%.
Fortunately, the market is poised to rebound by 6.3% through 2022, but this news has been overshadowed by news of an increasingly repressive culture that has emerged in the marketplace. We’ll explore this below, while asking how it’s being addressed by the ‘Rights on Site’ campaign?
What is the ‘Rights on Site’ Campaign?
There’s no doubt that the return of construction growth and rising demand in the UK has helped to reveal some significant injustices in the marketplace.
It’s these issues and the wider culture that allows them that have inspired the National Accident Helpline’s ‘Rights on Site’ campaign, which has been created with the express purpose of affording workers a voice to share their thoughts and experience.
At the heart of this insidious culture is a sense that workers who are injured or forced to work in less-than-ideal conditions are unable to speak out. For those who have voiced their concerns, they’ve faced consequences including blacklisting and unfair treatment, amid attempts to minimise injuries and the effects of accidents where negligence may be at fault.
According to spokesperson Jonathan White, “nobody should ever feel bullied or shamed into not coming forward about unfair treatment or injustice that they’ve experienced on a job”.
He continued “We believe that ‘Rights on Site’ will help right many wrongs that construction industry workers currently face. In the coming weeks, we will be calling for justice and sharing thoughts from the workers themselves who have witnessed it first-hand.”
Tackling the Major Issues
The clear goal here is to challenge the prevailing culture, and ultimately create a safer and fair working environment for construction workers.
It’s also important to win justice on behalf of those who are injured at work, with this a key goal for people who operate in this space.
In fact, a survey conducted by the National Accident Helpline found that 42% of British male construction workers described the prospect of getting justice as being an influential factor in making their decision on whether to seek out a compensation claim.
It has yet to be seen whether this initiative is successful, but there’s no doubt that it affords workers a potential helping hand in their quest for fairness and improved safety in the workplace.
