26.10.2010

Kier to complete operator lay-offs

Kier Plant is to go ahead with its proposal to lay off all of its directly employed crane operators.

The rental division of UK contractor Kier, is moving ahead with its proposal to lay off the 34 remaining crane operators that it employs directly.
Kier launched a consultation process on the proposal back in August and has now held one to one interviews with the operators and confirmed that they will be laid off.

We understand that some are appealing against the decision with their union representatives. In the meantime they are serving their notice period.

Kier says that due to the tight construction market and poor rental rates that have seen it loose work within its own group, it needs to both reduce costs and increase flexibility. It plans to hire crane operators on an ad hoc basis from employment agencies.

In an interview for the September issue of Cranes & Access, managing director Ian Gordon said that the company was open to alternative proposals and would consider any ideas put forward during the consultation process. But was not hopeful that a workable alternative would be found.
To see the original August report click here

[[Link:http://www.vertikal.net/fileadmin/journals/ca/2010/ca_2010_6_p31-33.pdf]]To see Mark Darwin’s interview with Ian Gordon of Kier Plant click here[[link]]

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