THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE, WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
MAIN FEATURE
“The main challenge at present is supply chain. Whilst our clay pipe business uses locally extracted clays and shales, sourcing packing timbers and other ancillaries has been difficult.”
- Edward Naylor
recently launched Hydrant App. The Association is also working on expanding the market for demand of CCTV services as a problem prevention mechanism, by providing training to key stakeholders such as surveyors, architects, building engineers and local authorities. NADC will also be issuing guidance in respect of interceptor maintenance and using this as a means to drive up the level of servicing to an appropriate level across a number of sectors. NADC is also engaged in helping lawyers and surveyors to understand the recently introduced legislation in respect of septic tanks (which differs between England and Wales). Last but not least NADC believes that the role of training and qualification across the industry is absolutely key to enhancing the prospects for the industry
NADC as a trade association is funded by its members and is extremely vigilant to ensure the maximum resourcing is pointed at initiatives that benefit its members and ultimately the whole contractor industry.
MANUFACTURERS
From the manufacturers side of the equations only one response was received which was from Naylor Industries Plc through its Chief Executive, Edward Naylor. His comments again in order of the questionnaire are as follows:
Brexit has been unhelpful to the business, resulting in a tightening of the labour pool and exacerbating the issues caused by covid
FOLLOW US
related absences. We currently have an unprecedented number of unfilled vacancies, particularly at operative level. Shortage of hauliers is an industry-wide problem (although Naylor subcontracts its haulage so many of these issues have been more directly faced by our subcontractors).
Covid related absences have been very disruptive and at one stage we had around 10% of our employees absent either due to having covid or because of quarantining requirements.
We have historically had a modest number of foreign (EU) nationals on our books but the issue is more one of knock-on effect. Those industries which historically relied on European Union (EU) nationals which are not available have now started to ‘fish in our pond’.
I think we are proud of how we have managed to maintain reasonably normal service capability/lead times through an incredibly challenging period.
The main challenge at present is supply chain. Whilst our clay pipe business uses locally extracted clays and shales, sourcing packing timbers and other ancillaries has been difficult. Furthermore, our plastic business has had to contend with dramatic raw material price increases and shortages.
I have long felt that the amp cycle results in too many peaks and troughs of activity. Something should be done to smooth out activity
As pipe makers, however, I am not sure that we are best placed to comment on the resilience of the water/sewerage industry in general.
WHATNOW?
With this somewhat limited response, for which Drain Trader wishes to thank those that did respond, some aspects of the effects of Brexit and the global pandemic on the UK water and sewerage sectors have become very clear.
Firstly, Brexit does appear to have had a reasonably significant effect on available workforce and the skill levels that are available within the workforce that is available. There is an urgent need to address this to enable the UK water sector to continue forward not just with improved services and the implementation of new technologies but simply to maintain the efforts that have seen the industry bring through the various crisis’ what is an essential industry for the health and well-being of the country. As mentioned previously there is a need for the UK immigration system to be somewhat more flexible than it is currently to enable the workforce and skills shortfall to be addressed whilst the UK as a whole, fills domestically what is becoming increasingly a yawning gap in economy.
With stories abounding of haulage companies effectively attempting to ‘poach’ drivers from other sectors, the impact of fewer drivers
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