Trade Union Movement Backs Connaught Workers

Delegates at TUC Congress have unanimously voted to support the Connaught workers, who are facing redundancy and an uncertain future following the collapse of their company last week.

An emergency motion moved by construction union UCATT, instructed the TUC General Council to provide support for the Connaught workers, engage with the Government to secure long term employment for Connaught workers and oppose future outsourcing in public services.

Moving the motion Alan Ritchie UCATT General Secretary described how the workers had faced additional uncertainty due to the failure of administrators KPMG to speak to unions or any of the affected councils.


Many workers found out that they no longer had jobs via conference calls or when they arrived at work and found depot gates locked.

When KPMG eventually did meet workers in Sefton on Merseyside, they were accompanied by bouncers.

Mr Ritchie, said: "As one UCATT official said you get more information out of the KGB than out of KPMG.

"Cameron talks of his fair society but the reality is workers are being treated as commodities. This is not a fire sale of office equipment. These are human beings. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."

Mr Ritchie told Congress that councils and housing associations had a "moral duty" to take back in house Connaught contracts, where workers had been made redundant and that this should be on their existing terms and conditions.

Mr Ritchie, also said: "This is why we must be clear that outsourcing is not the answer to providing services. Outsourcing is always more expensive. Outsourcing always results in a poorer service. And unlike councils outsourced contractors can go bust."

There are 4,400 employees affected by the collapse of Connaught. It is currently understood that 3,000 jobs have been saved by contracts being transferred to Morgan Sindall and Mears. An estimated 1,400 workers have been made redundant.

(CD/GK)