UNITE News Sector focus CONSTRUCTION


Building Britain together


Linden Fielding has been making concrete at Marshalls Brookfoot factory in Halifax for nearly 14 years. In October he travelled to London with colleagues to join the TUC march for A future that works. Marshalls staff were out in force, placards held high, with a heartfelt message to government: Get Britain building.


“It’s a critical time”, says Linden, who had never been on a union march before. “It’s about jobs, it’s about homes. The government needs to take notice and start building. Management and shop floor are making the case together. The more people get involved, the more pressure the government will be under to get Britain building.” Energised by his involvement Linden stood for office and was recently elected as a shop steward.


Marshalls has only been involved in joint campaigning since May. When Chris Haigh, Unite’s national convenor at Marshalls and Chris Harrop, group marketing director, met up at the company’s shareholder meeting, they decided they needed to get involved.


Companies across the building supply sector – including Marshalls –were announcing cuts, closures and job losses. The two Chrises agreed to work together and start campaigning under the Get Britain building (GBB) banner.


12 uniteWORKS January/February 2013


Unite’s Martin Armstrong work- ing at Marshalls Factory


BY HELEN HAGUE


Britain’s construction firms have joined with Unite to promote the industry – which can only benefit everyone


GBB was initially spearheaded by companies and trade associations in the construction sector when Labour was in power. But the Coalition’s relentless austerity drive made the need to get building more acute with each passing month.


Marshalls, which makes concrete paving and street furniture, has closed eight sites during this recession and nearly 800 shop floor jobs have been lost. Bleak economic conditions have taken their toll across the building supplies sector. Cash-strapped local councils have been cutting back and consumers are not spending as much on improving homes and gardens. The Marshalls campaign began against this grim backdrop.


“We need to make the case for construction, build more homes, save jobs and invest in training”, says Chris Haigh, surrounded by campaigning material in his Brookfoot union office.


Chris, who has been at Marshalls for 23 years and sits on Unite’s construction national committee, has thrown himself into the campaign, not just to defend his own members’ jobs, but to boost the long-term prospects for UK PLC. “It has to be the right thing to do. It’s not just the sector that benefits. We can build our way out of recession if the political will is there. Attitudes need to change and we have to get out there spelling out the benefits.”


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