A second demonstration has taken place outside the construction site of Everton FC's new Bramley Moore Dock stadium.
Members of the North West Construction Workers branch of Unite the Union attended the site this morning, Friday, September 16. The demonstration marks the second time union members have gathered outside the site following last month's protest on August 19.
A spokesperson for the demonstrators told the ECHO they were protesting because contractor Laing O'Rourke "is not willing to engage Unite the Union with having a presence on this site". The branch previously told the ECHO it wants "everything that goes with union recognition...but we can't do that until we get on the site".
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But a spokesperson for the construction firm reiterated it "recognises and supports the rights of the workforce to join a trade union". And a spokesperson for Everton FC added "Everton and Laing O'Rourke place enormous value on the people employed in building the club's new home".
The ECHO understands 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. But Unite is said to want access that goes beyond this.
The ECHO also understands the protest does not actually involve Laing O'Rourke staff working at Bramley Moore Dock and is not related to workers pay or on-site conditions.
Larry Bowles, spokesperson for the Unite 0541 construction branch, told the ECHO: "The branch staged its second demonstration at the Bramley Moore Everton stadium construction site. As yet Laing O'Rourke is not willing to engage Unite the Union with having a presence on this site although they have said the union could be present at site inductions.
"This does not represent a union on site. Unite is willing to work as usual with the contractor in a harmonious spirit of industrial relations. The rank and file members of our union would not only seek national agreements, direct labour and of course union recognised safety representatives.
"The stadium is not too distant from some of the most impoverished parts of the region so our members want as many apprentices on this site and other sites in the region to address the skills shortage in the construction industry. Our quote is to get the youth off the streets and onto the sites. We will campaign to improve the working lives of our member and will not rule out other areas of protest."
A spokesperson for Everton FC told the ECHO: “Everton has an excellent working relationship with Laing O’Rourke, who have been clear in all their communication with the football club that they recognise the rights of workers to join unions and are not an anti-union organisation. As promised from the outset, the Club has encouraged the contractor to have dialogue with the union in question, and this took place earlier this year. Laing O’Rourke offered site access to inductions at Bramley-Moore Dock but this offer was turned down by the union.
“Everton and Laing O’Rourke place enormous value on the people employed in building the Club’s new home – demonstrated by our collective commitment on-site to health and safety, welfare of staff, employee development and providing best-in-class facilities on this transformational, once in a lifetime project.”
Work began on Everton's new £500m stadium in August 2021. Recent images have shown the steelwork nearing completion on the South Stand. The North Stand has already been completed with work on the west side of the ground continuing to develop. Everton is set to depart Goodison Park and move to Bramley Moore Dock at the start of the 2024/25 season.
A spokesperson for Laing O'Rourke previously told the ECHO none of the work at the stadium would be possible "without the highly committed workforce". They added: "We recognise and support the rights of the workforce to join a trade union.”
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