Large Industrial Sites report

[edit] Introduction

The National Economic Development Council (NEDC) was an economic planning forum established in 1962. NEDC continued to have influence in terms of setting the future strategy for business and industry through the 1970s.

The aim of NEDC was to tackle the UK’s relative economic decline through initiatives including the establishment of the National Economic Development Office (NEDO). NEDO was an independent arm of the NEDC. The two organisations were informally referred to as Neddy.

[edit] NEDO reports

One of the functions of NEDO was to support the work of NEDC through the publication of reports that attempted to improve communication between management, trade unions and government.. The NEDO reports were not universally welcomed.

In 1970, NEDO published 'Large industrial sites: report of the Working Party on Large Industrial Construction Sites'. Publication of the 139 page report came after it was revealed that the existing industrial relations system appeared to foster significant disparities within the levels of the labour hierarchy. For instance, highly paid senior shop stewards often wielded significant power and set standards, but they were not involved with union activities that might have an impact on other workers on the site.

This friction was compounded by wage disparities (along with bonuses and overtime pay), which were cited as the primary cause of strikes in the 1960s. The matter came to the attention of the Government when strikes had an impact on the progress of infrastructure projects that were financed by public resources.

[edit] Addressing discrepancies of training and pay

In 1970, this issue was explored in the NEDO Large Industrial Sites report, which found that engineering construction projects with highly skilled and formally trained workers (such as electricians, mechanical fitters, platers and riggers) experienced fewer project delays. Training for workers in this sector fell under the Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) rather than the Construction Industry Training Board, which covered trades with less formal training.

After the report was published, NEDO set up a Large Sites Action Group which proposed a National Joint Council (NJC) for the engineering construction sector. This was picked up by various unions under the leadership of the Constructional Engineering Union (CEU), which supported the Large Sites Action Group’s idea for a national agreement for engineering construction.

[edit] The NJC is formed

Although initial efforts to standardise wages and working protocols were not initially supported by small firms and subcontractors, the NJC was finally established in 1981. The mission of the trade union/employer partnership was to foster and encourage strong and cohesive working relationships, while promoting improvements in working practices and culture within contractors and trade unions.

One of the initial tasks was to administer and review the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) - also known as the ‘Blue Book’. This agreement set comprehensive terms and conditions for hourly paid construction workers.

In the aftermath of the publication of the Large Industrial Sites report and the formation of the Large Sites Action Group, the work of the NJC - along with the introduction of the NAECI - contributed to an overall decrease in project delays. Despite the dissolution of the NEDC and NEDO in the 1990s, the NJC continues to prevent, or swiftly resolve, workplace problems on behalf of clients, as well as assisting with change processes undertaken by clients to improve their practices and standards.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Construction industry reports.
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).
• Identifying the causes of trends in construction labour productivity.
• National Economic Development Office (NEDO) reports.
• National Joint Council for the Engineering Construction Industry.
• The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model.
• Trade unions.