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Industry defiant
00:00 11 Nov 1998
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Industry leaders have chosen a hard-headed business message on the
contribution of the UK economy as the theme for National
Construction Week 1999.
The defiant theme rising to the challenge will fly in the face of client criticism of construction performance in the light of the Egan report. It is also a marked departure from last year's event, which targeted children with events like Mega Monopoly.
The main themes of the week have just been agreed and are:
l Improving performance (Monday 19 April);
l Environment (Tuesday 20 April);
l People (Wednesday 21 April);
l Innovation (Thursday 22 April); and
l The Community (Friday 23 April).
The Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions will use Environment Day to launch its targets for sustainable construction. Bovis is also understood to be considering sponsoring a report on innovation in the industry.
But the high point as far as contractors are concerned will be a research report detailing the productivity improvements the industry has made over the last three-to-four years.
"We are fed up with the industry being kicked all the time. The Egan report is right, and we do have to improve, but we want to recognise what has already been achieved," said one of the organisers.
"We will be aiming the message at clients this year, and not kids. We want to focus on the business of construction."
Hanson and Blue Circle have both stumped up £25,000 worth of sponsorship, but contractors - who stand to gain most - have been slow to contribute. Tarmac and Sir Robert McAlpine are understood to have contributed £5,000 each as a result of overtures from a senior client. He told CJ: "I went to my board to ask them for some money and they said why should we pay for contractors' PR?"
The organisers are hopeful that members of the Major Contractors' Group will each contribute £1,000. "It's peanuts to them - not even a few glasses of champagne at a Christmas drink, or half a topping-out ceremony."
Hugh Try is understood to be sounding out MCG members on the proposal.
The defiant theme rising to the challenge will fly in the face of client criticism of construction performance in the light of the Egan report. It is also a marked departure from last year's event, which targeted children with events like Mega Monopoly.
The main themes of the week have just been agreed and are:
l Improving performance (Monday 19 April);
l Environment (Tuesday 20 April);
l People (Wednesday 21 April);
l Innovation (Thursday 22 April); and
l The Community (Friday 23 April).
The Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions will use Environment Day to launch its targets for sustainable construction. Bovis is also understood to be considering sponsoring a report on innovation in the industry.
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But the high point as far as contractors are concerned will be a research report detailing the productivity improvements the industry has made over the last three-to-four years.
"We are fed up with the industry being kicked all the time. The Egan report is right, and we do have to improve, but we want to recognise what has already been achieved," said one of the organisers.
"We will be aiming the message at clients this year, and not kids. We want to focus on the business of construction."
Hanson and Blue Circle have both stumped up £25,000 worth of sponsorship, but contractors - who stand to gain most - have been slow to contribute. Tarmac and Sir Robert McAlpine are understood to have contributed £5,000 each as a result of overtures from a senior client. He told CJ: "I went to my board to ask them for some money and they said why should we pay for contractors' PR?"
The organisers are hopeful that members of the Major Contractors' Group will each contribute £1,000. "It's peanuts to them - not even a few glasses of champagne at a Christmas drink, or half a topping-out ceremony."
Hugh Try is understood to be sounding out MCG members on the proposal.
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