Unite’s charter seeks to ensure that building contractors and subcontractors on local authority projects provide good jobs, good apprentice training, excellent health and safety and pay workers the going rate.
Unite said that construction firms planning to work on Manchester City Council building projects will now need to adhere to the construction charter. This includes ongoing work at Manchester Airport and Lendlease’s Manchester Town Hall restoration project.
Unite’s regional coordinating officer for construction, Andy Fisher, said: “By signing up to Unite’s construction charter, Manchester City Council is making a serious commitment to securing the best employment standards for construction workers. The charter will protect workers from poor industry practices which result in the loss of employment rights; it stops blacklisting and means workers can raise health and safety issues without fear.
Councillor Carl Ollerhead, chair of the city’s resources and governance scrutiny committee, said: “Manchester City Council has ambitious plans for the city and we are delighted to work with Unite to ensure that our construction projects meet the highest standards for workers and for residents.
“The council has a number of important development projects in progress including the renovation of Manchester Town Hall and the Factory project. The charter means that workers and residents can be confident that these projects will move forward with ethical construction practices.”
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