黑洞社区

Unite has slammed Carillion over the 鈥済reed and recklessness鈥� that has led to its collapse.  

The country鈥檚 biggest trade union has also called for an urgent inquiry to be launched into Carillion鈥檚 collapse, urging administrator PwC to put workers and suppliers at the head of the queue for payment.

Unite represents more than 1,000 workers employed on the delivery of construction contracts and NHS contracts for Carillion, which in total employs around 20,000 people in the UK.

It added it will also be seeking a meeting with PwC today to press home that the priorities are not with the shareholders, but the workers who provide the service and people relying on them.

Jim Kennedy, national officer for local government at Unite, said an urgent enquiry has to be launched as to how Carillion amassed such high debts, accusing the Carillion boardroom of bringing the company to its knees.

鈥淭he administrator must provide reassurances on these to the workforce as a matter of urgency, and also that vital public services on which many depend will continue to be provided.

鈥淥ne thing is evidently clear from this: there must be no business as usual for big business. There has to be an urgent inquiry into how a company that loaded itself with debt, which undercut competitors with unsustainable bids, which hoovered up vats of public money, and that had repeatedly alerted the government to its own financial shortcomings got its hands on so much of the public sector and taxpayers鈥� cash.

鈥淲e are also very concerned about the impact of Carillion鈥檚 collapse on the wider supply chain. Many of these small firms are the lifeblood of their community but their exposure to Carillion鈥檚 debt puts them at serious risk.

鈥淧WC must put workers and suppliers at the head of the queue for payment, not the banks and certainly not the Carillion boardroom whose greed and recklessness has brought this giant company to its knees and imperiled so much of our public services.鈥�

Last week, Unite had urged the government to 鈥渃onsider all possible options鈥� regarding Carillion, including bringing contracts in-house at the earliest possible opportunity.

Assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail had said that if the government was forced to initiate a rescue package, they would also need to ensure that the supply chain is fully protected.