N.I. Avoidance Costs £2.5 Billion

According to latest reports from industry union Ucatt, construction workers falsely registering as self-employed have avoided a combined annual national insurance contribution in excess of £2.5 billion

They claims as many as 40% of the UK's 2.2 million building workers could be incorrectly registered as self-employed.

The union is also calling on the government to avoid using contractors and self-employed workers for work on the Olympics, because it believes that only directly employed workers should be used for large construction projects to prevent delays.

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of Ucatt, commented: "No one in Britain should have to pay a penny towards the Olympics. Gordon Brown on Wednesday needs to close this tax loophole...
"Bogus self-employment is the scourge of the industry. It has led to massive skills shortages and continues to deny workers basic employment rights."