The sit-in started today at the Saltend biofuels plant this morning after workers heard that peace talks at conciliation service ACAS broke down last night.
GMB union leaders will host a meeting of engineering construction shop stewards from across the country next week to discuss the deterioration in industrial relations.
The union has also donated £100,000 to a hardship fund for the 430 Saltend workers who lost their jobs last month.
The workers were employed by Redhall Engineering Solutions to carry-out pipework at the plant but Redhall’s contract was terminated by the BP-led client consortium Vivergo Fuels following a dispute over performance.
Workers were hoping to be taken on by a replacement contractor or direct by the client but nothing has been sorted leaving them in limbo and unpaid since early March.
The GMB is vowing to step-up its publicity campaign over the protest and will stage a demonstration outside the BP AGM on Thursday.
Les Dobbs, GMB Senior Organiser said: ”The employers walked out of the ACAS talks yesterday although the unions were prepared to continue talking to try to resolve this dispute. GMB will now press ahead with the protest outside BP’s AGM on Thursday.
“BP and Vivergo know that the site can not be finished until the work done by the Redhall workforce restarts.
“Unions want guarantees that this work will be offered to the locked out workers – who have TUPE rights to this work – but we have had no such guarantees.”
Via: Construction Enquirer U.K. Edition
The Leyton firm, which recently boasted it biggest scaffolding job worth £3m for the Savoy revamp, is now being run by London accountancy specialist SFP.
AGS built up a good reputation in London and the South East over 15 years offering scaffolding services to the building, civil engineering and entertainment industries.
In that time it worked on many major landmark buildings in the capital, including museum Tate Modern and the Savoy Hotel refit.
A source in the industry told the Enquirer: “With the way things are it takes just one bad paying job to cause problems. But its a big surprise that a firm like AGS has run into trouble.
“We understand that another company is in talks with the administrators to buy the assets of the firm, but nobody has heard anything more.”
Via: Construction Enquirer 
Harsco specialises in providing access, formwork, shoring and site support products and services for construction and industrial maintenance applications and the new website gives an introduction to each of these areas.
Three long-established Harsco group companies were brought together to create Harsco Infrastructure – SGB and Hünnebeck in Europe and the Middle and Far East, and Patent in North, Central and South America.
The website reflects the tremendous pool of expertise which this created and underlines Harsco’s ability to use that engineering and applications knowledge to provide cost-effective and proven solutions which meet the safety, programming and budgetary criteria of any project.
Many different types of products and services are referenced on the new website.
For construction projects these range from access equipment, roofing, forming and shoring through to safety equipment, training and logistics, while access, insulation, blasting, painting, fireproofing and encapsulation services are detailed for industrial projects.
The website provides a valuable reference to this unique multi-product offering and these details are complemented by a range of international project case studies which showcase the scope of Harsco’s abilities.
While the company’s various product ranges are outlined on the site, Harsco’s innovative approach to developing bespoke solutions for individual customers is also highlighted.
The site also offers links to other Harsco websites which serve the European and American markets.
For more details please visit 
On Tuesday 11 April 2006, just after noon, an independent tied perimeter scaffold collapsed at McAleer & Rushe construction site in Milton Keynes.
The collapse started on the West Elevation (facing Witan Gate), with a partial collapse of the North Elevation (facing Midsummer Boulevard). The scaffold collapse was contained within the Jury’s Inn site boundary. Three workers who were on the scaffold sustained multiple injuries. Sadly, one worker, John Robinson, died 3 days later in hospital.
In 2006 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety alert to the construction industry following this incident. The warning aims to alert those working on similar projects to the importance of their arrangements to provide and maintain stable scaffolds. HSE recommends that those arrangements are reviewed regularly.
Two construction firms involved in the major scaffolding collapse at Milton were ordered to pay £126,000 for their role in the incident which left one man dead and two others seriously injured.
John Robinson, and his son Mark, were working on the Jury’s Inn site in Witan Gate, Milton Keynes alongside Ivan Penkov. All three men were on the 40-metre-high scaffolding when it collapsed.
They fell to the ground and were trapped under rubble until rescue workers could reach them.
Father of three, John Robinson, 49, was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries to his left leg. Three days later he died from a pulmonary embolism, as a result of the damage to his leg.
John’s son Mark Robinson suffered a punctured lung, broken vertebra and ribs and significant cuts and bruising in the fall. He was unable to work for a period after the incident.
Ivan Penkov suffered serious fractures to his legs and arms and spent a month in hospital recovering. He has undergone a number of operations and has had to re-train as a draftsman.
In Huntingdon Crown Court, the principal contractor on the Jury’s Inn site, McAleer & Rushe Limited of Cookstown, N.Ireland was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £42,000. The cladder on the site, Lee Smith Carpentry Limited of Romsey, Hampshire was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,000.
The court heard that a combination of failures led to the scaffolding collapse. The scaffolding was not strong or stable enough for the work being carried out. Inspection of the scaffold was also inadequate, despite specific instructions from HSE and McAleer’s health and safety manager.
HSE Principal Inspector Stephen Hartley said:
“John Robinson lost his life in this incident and two others have had their lives changed forever as a result. It’s a wonder that more people weren’t hurt.
“It is totally unacceptable for companies to disregard the safety of their workers. If the scaffolding had been designed, erected and managed properly, this incident would never have happened.”
McAleer & Rushe Limited had earlier pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974. Lee Smith Carpentry Limited had admitted four breaches of health and safety regulations.
John Robinson’s widow, Christine Robinson, said: “John was a kind, caring man who lived for his family. My children and I have not come to terms with his death; we don’t understand why it had to happen.
“This incident should never have happened if both companies had ensured the safety of those working for them. Every day I miss John so much – my best friend, my soul mate and my future.”
James Elliott allowed the farm to be constructed in underground tunnels at his premises at Walcot Fen, near Billinghay, aiming to make £1,500 a week for himself.
When detectives raided the site in January last year, they discovered 138 cannabis plants growing in underground chambers.
The sophisticated system, designed to grow cannabis on a commercial basis, was using 61 transformers and 80 halogen bulbs.
Mark Watson, prosecuting, said “The value of the cannabis plants seized was £23,000. The potential from this enterprise was 21.6kg per year which, if sold, would amount to £75,600 a year.”
Elliott later told police that, at the time, his scaffolding business was in financial difficulties and he saw the chance to make some money.
He said he was approached by two people who set up the system, and he was expecting an income of £1,500 to £2,000 a week.
Elliott, 48, of Cherry Gates, Walcot Fen, near Billinghay, admitted unlawful production of cannabis.
Judge Sean Morris told him: “This was a professionally built, hidden subterranean factory that would have turned out £75,000 of skunk cannabis a year on to the streets, creating more crime and costing the country more money.
“You were clearly a manager and organiser. Professional, organised drug producers get proper sentences.”
Richard Marshall, defending, said: “He runs a small scaffolding company. At the end of 2009, things were very difficult. He was approached by another party, a man he had known from school.
“Mr Elliott was targeted because he owns a relatively remote house which happens to have a barn attached.
“He knew nothing about cannabis or cannabis growing. He played very little part in the operation other than visiting the plants two or three times a week.”
Mr Marshall said that, at the time of the police raid, the plants had yet to yield a harvest of cannabis.
He said: “Ironically his business has since turned the corner and things are looking a lot brighter than they were 18 months ago.”
Mr Marshall said both Elliott’s wife and son were employed by his business and would lose their jobs if he were jailed.
Via: www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk 
The incident occurred in the Mianshan Mountain area, a scenic spot near Jiexiu City at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, when the scaffolding collapsed on a bus station under construction, killing six workers at the site, Jiexiu city government said in a statement.
Three other workers injured have been admitted to hospital, it said.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. 
His wagon flattened part of the South Tyneside Homes HQ in Jarrow when it ploughed into the entrance.
Mr Robertson, 44, claims he smashed into the building where dozens work after his contract was terminated by the housing company which, he said, led to his scaffolding firm going under.
Upset at losing his business, Mr Robertson said he drove into the grounds of Strathmore House at Viking Industrial Park and rammed into a company car.
He said he then reversed his 22ft company wagon into the entrance and did not stop until the whole vehicle was submerged.
The dad-of-four allegedly waited outside for the police to arrive so he could explain why he caused the damage.
Mr Robertson, from Jarrow, said: “I know what I did was wrong, but I did it anyway. They destroyed my business.
“I only had one customer, which was them, and we had an agreement that I had the exclusive rights to do all of their scaffolding work. I used to turn away business so I could dedicate myself to them.
“Then, one day, they called me up and said they weren’t going to use me anymore. Well, that was it for my company. I had to let all 20 workers go.”
Mr Robertson claims STH agreed a five-year contract with his Hebburn-based company, Robertson Scaffolding LTD, in 2008. He added STH terminated the contract in November last year.
Mr Robertson drove one of his wagons to the housing headquarters in Rolling Mill Road, which oversees housing repairs and maintenance across South Tyneside, including the Decent Homes programme.
After crashing into the building he was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage but has not yet been charged with any offences.
He is due to answer police bail later this month.
Mr Robertson, who lives with wife Susan in York Avenue, added: “When I drove over there I just wanted to leave my wagon in front of the entrance so they could see it in the morning.
“But then I saw an electric company car, so I smashed into it. After that looked at the entrance and decided to reverse into that as well.
“I waited outside and smoked two cigarettes until the police showed up.
“I had no intention of running away.
“I wanted to tell them what I did and why I did it.
“I told them everything in my police interview.”
Workers were drafted in on the morning after the accident to repair the damaged entrance.
A police spokeswoman said: “A 44-year-old man from Jarrow has been questioned and bailed after a vehicle was driven into Strathmoor House on March 20.
“He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.”
A spokesman for STH refused to comment on claims the company terminated Mr Robertson’s contract, but chief executive Isobel Riley said: “We are currently assisting the police with their investigation into the incident.”