Tens of thousands of hard working British tradespeople are not being paid for the work they have done, according to a new national campaign which is gathering pace.

Backed by safety workwear and footwear designers Scruffs, a petition has been launched as part of the #PayWhatYouOwe campaign, in order to highlight the crippling consequences of unpaid invoices in the construction industry.

A spokesperson at Scruffs said:

“Tradespeople are now increasingly at risk of severe financial burdens and pressure on their businesses, as invoices are delayed or disputed by customers. Imagine if your workplace refused to pay your salary. How would you pay your household bills, the mortgage and your general cost of living?

“Our construction professionals work incredibly hard, through rain or shine, building our roads, fixing our homes and making our towns and cities nicer places to live – they deserve better than this.”

The petition, which at the time of writing has 183 signatures and is growing, acknowledges the severity of the issue, reminding supporters of the industry’s worth, which equates to nearly £164bn in the UK alone.

To enforce change, the petition seeks to provide tradespeople – particularly those who are self-employed – with more robust support. This could include establishing more rights for tradespeople, when it comes to chasing invoices long beyond their due date, and introducing enforceable fines for unpaid bills to deter any unnecessary late payments.

The petition goes on to acknowledge that over the past 20 years the media has been flooded with stories of cowboy builders not completing work and letting people down. However, delve a little deeper and in the majority of cases the reality for tradespeople is completely the opposite.

The spokesperson continued: “Our #PayWhatYouOwe campaign, which kicked off with a campaign video on Facebook, has already reached more than 800,000 people [21 September 2018]. It is about more than encouraging quicker payments. It’s about respect.”

If you want to support the petition and help to give our tradespeople more rights, visit https://www.change.org/p/government-tradespeople-aren-t-being-paid-more-rights-as-they-appeal-to-people-to-paywhatyouowe. For more information about Scruffs and the #paywhatyouowe campaign, visit www.scruffs.com.