by Clair Mooney | 29 Jan, 2021 | Labour, Membership, Skills
In a report on CNews today, FIS has continued to raise concerns about potential labour shortages.
Iain McIlwee, FIS CEO commented: As the article in CN news reflets, the extent of the immigration issue is still very much unknown, but it is concerning, especially in our sector where over 40% of the workforce is from the EU. What we do know is that over 40% of our members are currently reporting a shortage and 60% are expecting one, how bad it will get we don’t fully know right now, but we anticipate that it will impact rates and programmes. The problem has two parts, the immediate concern over who will stay and settle, we are trying to understand the cliff ledge post-Christmas and there is potentially another one coming in the summer when the Right to Works checks kick in. But, that is only part of the problem – even if all the EU workers return and stay, our annual recruitment and training target has doubled over night, because many trades do not make it on the skilled or shortage occupation list and so the EU tap is well and truly off. If just 5-10% opt to ply their trade within the EU instead, this target triples, quadruples and so on. This is the number one concern for the FIS as we move into 2021 – the infrastructure and time just isn’t in place to solve this – realistically we need to see some relaxation of the rules to give us time to transition.
Read the full article here: Labour shortages could raise rates ‘at least 10%’
by Clair Mooney | 29 Jan, 2021 | Membership
FIS, alongside Build UK, is part of a coalition of industry trade bodies calling on the Chancellor to withdraw the VAT Reverse Charge which is due to be introduced on 1 March.
The new legislation will restrict the cash flow of companies throughout the construction supply chain, and Build UK is launching a campaign #StopReverseVAT on Monday 1 February to ensure that the Treasury and HMRC fully understand the impact of Reverse VAT. We are keen to involve all our members and you can feature your company on Build UK social media postcards by emailing Build UK the following:
- a hi‐res headshot of your Chief Executive or Chairman/President
- their name, job title and company
- a quote (50 ‐ 75 words) that sums up the impact that Reverse VAT will have on your business or sector.
You can also help us to raise the profile of this issue by sharing the postcards on Twitter and LinkedIn using the hashtag #StopReverseVAT and tagging in @hmtreasury and @HMRCgovuk. By working together, we can demonstrate the significant impact Reverse VAT will have on the industry at a time when we have been singled out as vital to the economic recovery.
by Clair Mooney | 25 Jan, 2021 | Membership
The FIS Site Guide for Suspended Ceilings has been revised and updated by the FIS Ceilings and Absorbers working group and is available to download here.
The site guides are intended to help main contactors, designers and project managers that you are working with to understand the terminology, descriptors and different ceiling systems used, and the process of delivery, handling, planning the installation, as well as understanding the site conditions, the plant and access equipment needed. It also highlights the key health and safety points and requirements from the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM).
The guide sits alongside our other best practice guides that relate to ceilings:
These guides work well when they are included in proposals and project plans to demonstrate how you will approach a project, they are also good differentiators when you find yourself in competition with non-members and are an excellent introduction to new members of the team and any trainees and apprentices.
The next online meeting of the Ceilings and Absorbers working group will be held on 2 March. To register please follow this link, or call Joe Cilia on 07795 958 780 if you have any questions.
by Clair Mooney | 25 Jan, 2021 | Membership, Skills
The FIS Training Group has secured additional funding to support the cost of training and qualifications completed by FIS employer members in scope to CITB.
The additional funding, of up to £2,000 per company, covers a range of training from generic health and safety through to specialist courses such as spray plastering, deflection heads or fire door inspection and includes vocational qualification achievement. This funding is in addition to the CITB grant eligible training (GET) code grant you already claim from CITB.
How to claim
Simply send the invoice for training completed since 1st August 2020 to info@thefis.org if it meets the criteria set out below, we will arrange a refund to the full 100% of the course cost (up to a maximum of £2,000 per company, less the grant already claimed from CITB and less VAT incurred). The funding will be available on a first come, first served basis.
For a full list of eligible courses please see: CITB training standards
CITB GET Fund FIS Supplement Terms and Conditions
- The supplement cannot be used for GET codes that are already included on an individual employer contracted CITB Skills and Training allocation.
- An FIS supplement can only be paid to organisations ‘in scope’ to CITB and up to date with levy payments.
- The supplement is primarily for micro and small organisations no more than 25% of the total fund can be paid to large organisations (100 or more employees).
- Non grant eligible training is not covered by this supplement.
- Training must have taken place between 01 August 2020 and 31 March 2021 and have been completed before applying.
- Training must have been completed by delegates who are currently employed by or are NET (taxed) Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) sub-contractors of CITB registered employers.
- Invoices supplied must show the full costs of the training completed including CITB registration number, Training Provider, course name, CITB GET code, Tier value, date of completion, number of delegates, course cost and VAT.
- Successful applications will be notified within 25 working days.
- Payments will be made when the invoice is verified.
Funding is limited so cannot be guaranteed.
FIS is happy to review and support all of your funding claims through our one to one Skills and Funding Clinics.
This is a service freely available to members through the booking form here. Members are also strongly advised to apply for the CITB Skills and Training Fund 2020 which can allow organisations to claim up to £25,000 to support their training needs.
by Clair Mooney | 21 Jan, 2021 | Market data, Membership
Increases in contract awards in the North West, East of England and the South West.
Contract awards in the commercial sector valued £7.3bn, 4% lower than 2019’s £7.6bn. The number of projects fell by 17% to 1,100 from 1,400. This is broadly consistent with preceding years and continues the long negative trend in the sector.
The sector experienced a major shock this year with a huge increase in home working leaving offices unoccupied and retail stores shuttered for much of the year resulting in a surge in online purchases by consumers.
FIS members can access the full report here.
Total number of contract awards decrease by 16% in 2020 and values fall by 5%.
Construction output increased by 2% in November, bringing the in-month value above pre-Covid levels for the first time. This was achieved through strong infrastructure activity, as well as repair & maintenance activity across all sectors. Private housing was also strong in November and continued its upward trajectory since the summer.
However aggregate output for 2020 remained significantly down on 2019. Housing has taken the largest hit, at 20% below last year’s levels – public housing especially is down, by 28%. The industrial and commercial sectors are 18% and 17% lower respectively. The sectors least impacted are infrastructure (-3%), RMI (-5%) and public non-housing (-7%).
by Clair Mooney | 21 Jan, 2021 | Membership
The director of a construction company has been sentenced after a subcontractor suffered serious injuries when a stack of plasterboards fell on him at a construction site in Thames Ditton, Surrey.
Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard that on 12 April 2019, subcontractors were moving sheets of plasterboard weighing 32kg each from the ground floor to the second floor of a house undergoing refurbishment. As there was no staircase in place, they were stacking the plasterboard against an unsecured ladder and sliding them up to the floor above. During the process the plasterboards fell on the worker, fracturing his pelvis.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found there was no safe system of work in place and the workers were not being adequately supervised. The stairwell openings were not guarded and they were partially spanned with scaffold boards resting on insecure scaffold poles, creating a significant fall risk.
Siamak Samyani the sole director of SS Reforms Limited of Eastcote Avenue, West Molesey, Surrey pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months, fined £3,400 and ordered to pay costs of £600.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Cousins said: “This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the director to devise and implement a suitable safe system of work.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall below the required standards.”
FIS has created a guide for the Safe Ingress of Plasterboard, which is available to download here.
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