Construction self-employment jumps to over 1m

Near half the total UK construction workforce is now operating as self employed.

Latest figures released by Government show at least 1.1m construction workers were paid via the Construction Industry Scheme in 2016/17.

This is an 8% jump on the previous year when when 993,000 were paid via CIS and means that 47% of the entire construction workforce is now self-employed for tax purposes.

The surge in self-employment was revealed after a Freedom of Information request by construction union Unite.

It is now calling for root and branch reforms of employment rights claiming the latest figures demonstrated that bogus self-employment was on the rise again.

In 2014 the government introduced measures that barred construction workers operating via payroll companies from being self-employed.

Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary, of Unite said: “The only way that workers will be treated fairly and decently is by introducing clear rules which ensure that workers are either genuinely self-employed or paid by a standard PAYE method.

“Without such a reform productivity in construction will remain low, accidents and ill health will be high and the industry will fail to train sufficient numbers of apprentices.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/08/01/construction-self-employment-jumps-to-over-1m/

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