A demonstration was held outside the construction site of Everton's new Bramley-Moore dock stadium on Friday (August 19) morning.
Members of the North West Construction Workers branch of trade union Unite attended the site shortly before 7am. A spokesperson for those demonstrating told the ECHO that they were there because: “Laing O’Rourke (the contractor building the stadium) will not recognise a trade union on the site". However, the construction firm has said that it " recognises and supports the rights of the workforce to join a trade union.”
Larry Bowles, spokesperson for the 0541 Unite Construction Branch, said: " Our branch started a campaign after a lack of progress in negotiations with Everton Football Club and Laing O’Rourke. The frustration is that now we’ve got to take matters into our own hands and demonstrate and hold gatherings around not just the Everton stadium, which is one of the biggest projects on Merseyside, but other projects - anywhere where they’re not recognising our union."
READ MORE: How Liverpool's Northern Docks are preparing for Everton's arrival and £500m stadium
Mr Bowles added: " Laing O’Rourke will not recognise a trade union on the site. Full stop. They have a chequered history with regards to industrial relations." He said that the message of the demonstration was that their branch wanted: " Everything that goes with union recognition - apprenticeships, safety reps, etcetera, that’s what we’re looking for. But we can’t do that until we get on the site.”
The ECHO understands that Laing O’Rourke has offered trade union access to Bramley-Moore Dock in the form of inviting union officials to site inductions and displaying union literature on notice boards around the site. The union is said to want access that goes beyond this.
Work began on Everton FC 's new £500m stadium in August 2021. The first concrete terracing unit was installed earlier this week, as the site marked one year since the construction process began. As things stand, Everton are set to depart Goodison Park and move into the new stadium for the start of the 2024/25 football season.
When approached for comment by the ECHO, a Laing O’Rourke spokesperson said: “We are proud of the excellent progress on the new Everton stadium since work started a year ago. In that time, the dock infill and piling have been completed and the shape of the stadium is becoming visible as the structural steelwork is installed. None of this would have been possible without the highly committed workforce, who are passionate about delivering the project for the Club, the city and the people of Liverpool.
"We recognise and support the rights of the workforce to join a trade union.”
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