CIOB to create toolkit to tackle ‘the dark side of construction’

Qatar has been criticised for labour abuses during building for the World Cup

Following the launch of the CIOB’s report – Modern Slavery: The dark side of construction – the institution aims to produce a toolkit to help organisations become more socially responsible.

The report, coordinated by Stephen Lines FCIOB, was launched at this year’s Annual Members’ Forum in Cambridge and is intended to highlight the prevalence of human rights abuses in construction.

In the report’s foreword, CIOB chief executive Chris Blythe outlines the scale of the issue: “Our sector is rife with human rights abuses. Bonded labour, delayed wages, abysmal working and living conditions, withholding of passports and limitations of movement are all forms of modern slavery.” 

Conditions on construction sites have become the focus of global media attention following reports of numerous worker deaths in Qatar as the country builds the infrastructure in preparation for hosting the World Cup.

Instigated at last year’s Members’ Forum in Qatar the report, however, highlights that “modern slavery” is not an issue confined to the Middle East, with an estimated 36 million enslaved people globally and slavery found to exist in 167 countries, including the UK.

Lines, a senior commercial manager for Qatar Rail, told Construction Manager: “It is unfortunate that it took a country buying the World Cup to highlight this global issue, we should be looking out for these things.” 

“An estimated half a million foreign workers are working within Qatar’s construction sector and human rights violations have been, rightfully, well documented. But change is happening – living conditions, payment practices and employment law have all improved over the past year and many more initiatives are planned.

“Responsibility for change does not rest with the government alone, though. It is imperative that support is gained from professionals, including CIOB members, working at the top of the supply chain to ensure that good practice is upheld and enforced among all teams.”

“This report is part of the drive to make members recognise their corporate responsibility,” he emphasised. 

The CIOB now aims to create a toolkit to help organisations become more socially responsible. The institution is in discussion with a number of government and non-government organisations as well as Tier 1 contractors and other industry bodies to create the toolkit.

Lines explained why the CIOB is developing the toolkit, which he hopes to be available in six months: “A lot of people ask me ‘what I can do?’ The toolbox will give employees, contractors and consultants a set of tools to approach, understand and tackle these issues.

Following the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in March this year, UK companies’ working practices at home and abroad will be under greater scrutiny.

Lines said: “British contractors need to know that even if they are working in another country they are not exempt from the UK’s new anti-slavery law.”

Blythe added: “Changing legislation globally will commit companies to report on their activities and this, combined with stakeholder pressure, is what we believe will force compliance.”