Good news for industry equality; it has recently been announced that the quantity of women holding positions in the construction sector has recently risen to one of the highest figures since the establishment of records. Heralding a positive step forward in equality and diversity for the construction sector, the news
Ever since the inauguration of the Social Value Act in 2013, the importance of ensuring quantifiable social benefits through all levels of service delivery has been a key consideration for, not solely the third sector, but also for the public sector. As of its originally announcement, the act has been
It has just been announced that Visqueen Building Products, one of the building products sector’s more prominent and reputable suppliers of structural waterproofing products and gas protection systems, has promoted an existing member of the team to be its brand new National Key Account Manager, Laura Guy. Announced by the
On 1st April 2016 the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2016 will come into force, introducing the national living wage. This highly anticipated change in law, announced by the Government last year, aims to help Britain’s lowest paid workers improve their standard of living, bringing direct benefits to 2.7 million
With the recent decision for Bouygues’ Head of France to lay down the foundations of the next generation of the company, with the planned appointment of two new, more youthful members of the family to the board, it would appear that the company continue its position as a family-led, family-run
Constructionline, the largest accreditation service within the sector, has appointed John Edmunds as its managing director to oversee general day-to-day operations and develop the organisation’s long-term growth plan. Constructionline, which provides both sourcing and procurement software as well as professional services covering the broad spectrum of capabilities across the construction
Originally handling the development of Sika’s Serbia operations from Belgrade, Dragan Maksimović has now been appointed as the new General Manager for Sika’s UK base, no doubt hoping for him to bring the same levels of success to the UK as in Serbia. And setting him off to a running
Good news for industry equality; it has recently been announced that the quantity of women holding positions in the construction sector has recently risen to one of the highest figures since the establishment of records. Heralding a positive step forward in equality and diversity for the construction sector, the news is quite well received from an ethical perspective and, whilst firstly highlighting the increase in female construction workers taken on, yet also showcases the level of interest from women in construction careers. Highlighted in statistics provided by the Office for National Statistics, it can be seen that the quantity of female construction operatives has seen a growth of some 9.9% on a yearly basis, reaching levels of 277,000 at the close of 2015 – this figure being at a high not seen over the course of the last twenty years, when the last record was set in 1996. Surprisingly, it has also been seen that the sheer rate at which female construction workers have been hired has actually been at a more rapid pace than male construction workers, with the total number of male workers only rising by 6.6% in the 12 months up to the close. Most specifically, each quarter of 2015 showed a 1.5% increase in the number of female workers in the sector, with the increase in male workers trailing behind at a 1% increase er quarter. Of course, the sector is far from entirely equal, with these figures, yes, highlighting positive change, but the industry does indeed remain more weighted towards male workers. As of present, the overall proportion of women making up the construction sector’s workforce sits at 19.9%, which is a considerable increase on the figure of 11.9% shown when the records were first initialised. And so, while considerable progress is still hoped for from an equality perspective, these figures highlighted over the course of the year to paint a very positive picture, both from the perspective of interest levels and of the take-up of female construction workers as a whole.
Ever since the inauguration of the Social Value Act in 2013, the importance of ensuring quantifiable social benefits through all levels of service delivery has been a key consideration for, not solely the third sector, but also for the public sector. As of its originally announcement, the act has been requiring for all public bodies (both in England and Wales) to pay heed to the services being procured and assess the social, economic and environmental impacts of all such works – this, in effect going far above and beyond the staple benefit of what a building might bring, but also those consequences throughout the planning and construction cycle. Of course, though it has been in place ever since 2013, change has not instantly been seen, yet it has been reported that there is an increased awareness amongst public bodies now, that social value and the benefits, or consequences of works must be regarded as the utmost import. Yet, at the same time, there is relatively low awareness of the import of this process across procurement, and ensuring that even this stage of the development process must be defined. Lord Young commented that such awareness, “Appears to be relatively low when considered against the number and value of procurements across the public sector.” And yet, whilst the act only enforces social value for the public sector, it has been noted that private companies have also increasingly shown an interest in ensuring the delivery of social value over the course of contracts. With this in mind, the benefits will of course be seen to flow up the supply chain on public sector contracts also, and the growing social responsibility displayed by leading construction contractors is well worthy of praise. For the future, one of the key areas to be encouraged next is facilities management, where there is still plenty of room for development in the arena of ensuring social value. Yet, as the concept remains one quite fresh with regard to facilities management at present, industry professionals have been reported to push the envelope on incorporating facilities management in the agenda also.
It has just been announced that Visqueen Building Products, one of the building products sector’s more prominent and reputable suppliers of structural waterproofing products and gas protection systems, has promoted an existing member of the team to be its brand new National Key Account Manager, Laura Guy. Announced by the company’s Commercial Director himself, Phil Bull, it has been argued that the promotion is due to her performance in her previous role as Business Development Manager. With Laura’s responsibilities and reach to be adapted in line with her new position, Laura is expected to take an increasingly prominent role in the company’s day-to-day operations, playing a role in ensuring the continued commercial performance of the company. Most specifically, Laura will be seen to work alongside many of Visqueen Building Products’ larger, key clients, working to build the relationship and supportive role for such clients. Phil Bull went on to comment that: “Her industry expertise coupled with her strong business acumen will prove to be great assets to the role and we look forward to supporting her in her latest venture at Visqueen.” Having joined the organisation back in 2009, Laura has worked her way up the ranks, all the way from being a customer-focused team leader, with steady, regular promotions through the ranks. Of course, the steady speed at which she has risen through the company’s ranks only goes to highlight her capabilities and her understanding of the sector itself. Of her accomplishments at the company thus far, one of the most prominent has been the launch of the Visqueen Damp Protection Centre, which brought together eighteen different merchants to serve as an approved supply chain for Visqueen’s damp protection product range. This, then, has proven successful through the provision of national distribution through a trusted centre network. For those seeking out any of the branches, a publicly accessible directory of all such centres is available for easy location.
On 1st April 2016 the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2016 will come into force, introducing the national living wage. This highly anticipated change in law, announced by the Government last year, aims to help Britain’s lowest paid workers improve their standard of living, bringing direct benefits to 2.7 million workers over the age of 25. The Government also predicts that the NMW will facilitate the granting of National insurance discounts and help small employers to guarantee their workers a minimum living wage. However, the scheme has come under fire recently, with critics arguing that it is nothing more than a tweak to the minimum wage regulations. From April 1st the new minimum wages will be: Age 25 and over – 7.20ph (now called National Living Wage) Age 21 to 25 – £6.70ph Age 18 to 21 – £5.30ph People younger than 18 – £3.87ph Apprentices – £3.30ph By comparison the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) set the national living wage at £8.25 per hour nationally and at £9.40 for the London area. The Living Wage Foundation base their figures on the public perception of the minimum income required and on detailed budgets. New research every two years enables their living wage to reflect changing social norms and there is an annual update which takes into consideration inflation. Employers who pay the Living Wage Foundation’s wage to all their employees can apply for their accreditation and there are currently more than 700 accredited living wage employers in London. Perhaps the real success story of the Government’s policy is the raised awareness of what constitutes a living wage and this is reflected in the fact that last year alone, 429 employers obtained accreditation from the LWF. The Greater London Authority’s report entitled “A Fairer London: The 2015 Living Wage in London”, showed the encouraging news that 85.5% of full time workers in the capital currently earn more than £9.40 per hour, although 50% of part time workers earn less. Employers whose margins are too tight to permit them to pay the living wage, will no doubt welcome this outcome, as should their employees. Certainly, it is preferable that a company remains operative and its workers in employment than for it to be pushed to breaking point by payments it cannot afford. On the other hand, those employers who are already accredited for paying the living wage, in sectors with broader profit margins, may well continue to reap the benefits of doing so, especially with regard to employee retention. As women still make up the majority of the part-time workforce, the pay discrepancy between part-time and full-time workers is likely to be reconsidered in the future, as part of the gender pay gap work by Government. It is unlikely that the issue of pay will recede as we all try to strike a balance between preventing employee exploitation and maintaining viable businesses. By Jacqueline Kendal, Head of Employment Law, RK LLP
With the recent decision for Bouygues’ Head of France to lay down the foundations of the next generation of the company, with the planned appointment of two new, more youthful members of the family to the board, it would appear that the company continue its position as a family-led, family-run and family-focused organisation. The proposal, to come from Martin Bouygues, the man behind the Bouygues name since 1989, will incorporate the appointment of his son, Edward and nephew, Cyril to the board after the close of an upcoming shareholder meeting. With the approval of the appointment this would see the board expand in size from fourteen to sixteen members which would help to rebalance the family to employer representative ratio; in total, this would split the board into four sets of family members and four of employee representatives. In total, the company’s workforce presently holds a 21.4% stake in Bouygues, with 28.6% of the voting rights also. On the other hand, SCDM, the family holding under the Bouygues name presently holds a 20.4% stake and approximately 27.9% of the voting rights.. And not only will the change see some movement in the balancing of the board, but it is also to see an increased amount of responsibility placed on the new members and prepare them for his eventual retirement. The plans also come at the same time as the company, which also holds ownership France’s TF1, the largest private broadcaster in France, is also looking to sell its telecoms division to Orange, reshaping the very landscape of the French landscape. Nodding to this, Martin Bouygues commented on the discussion looking to take a number of weeks, though there is also no guarantee of the deal having a successful outcome as of yet. Additionally, he commented that the deal would need for him to confirm a 10% stake in Orange for Bouygues, if it is to go ahead.
Constructionline, the largest accreditation service within the sector, has appointed John Edmunds as its managing director to oversee general day-to-day operations and develop the organisation’s long-term growth plan. Constructionline, which provides both sourcing and procurement software as well as professional services covering the broad spectrum of capabilities across the construction sector, will be led by Edmunds whose ambitions begin with the launch of the company’s new buyer services and web-based digital platform. The experienced Edmunds, who boasts a decade and a half delivering transformative business development, new product ranges and tangible market growth within the technology sector, has notable expertise across a broad range of industries. Indeed, his specialism is not strictly based on long-running businesses needing a boost as Edmunds has successfully worked with start-ups and mid-market enterprises. This has seen him achieve plenty of industry awards, the most recent being the “40 Under 40 Award” as an emerging leader in the global gaming sector. Constructionline’s new managing director, who has worked all over the world and across a variety of continents, joins from California’s FutureLogic Inc, where he held a number of senor executive positions. One of Edmunds’ most recent accomplishments was the transformation and sale by private equity group American Capital of FutureLogic. His new role brings with it a lot of excitement for Edmunds who noted he had joined the company at an intriguing point in its history. “Since Capita’s acquisition of Constructionline in January 2015, we have made significant investments in development and people capital and will continue to do so,” he said. This will enable Constructionline to “become a better partner for all our clients” while helping “the industry work more effectively every day”.
Originally handling the development of Sika’s Serbia operations from Belgrade, Dragan Maksimović has now been appointed as the new General Manager for Sika’s UK base, no doubt hoping for him to bring the same levels of success to the UK as in Serbia. And setting him off to a running start, it has already been confirmed that Sika has presented Dragan Maksimović with a target of improving sales by 6% in the first year, whilst simultaneously also maintaining profits. He will replacing former General Manager Ivo Schaedler, who has since been promoted to Area Manager Europe South. Key areas of focus for Dragan Maksimović’s work will look to the enhancement of the company’s existing specifier network, as well as improving upon the relations maintained between the organisation’s key distributors. This, of course, ties in the company’s overarching goal to consistently secure more and more major contracts and will support the company’s growth plans through supply chain support. Firm in the belief that teamwork and the people behind the brand are the way forward for Sika, Dragan Maksimović is expected to bring a very relationship-centric approach to the organisation, both internally and externally, to improve collaboration and working partnerships. He added: “Sika UK is a strong company and I am looking forward to the challenge of growing the brand in the UK.”
