Mandelson To Launch Construction Industry Review

Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, announced a review of the construction and engineering industries after the recent series of wildcat strikes over foreign workers.

The review, which will take around three to four months to complete, will look at skills shortages in the UK, and examine ways in which British industry could be improved so that it can compete with foreign competitors.

It will be conducted by Mark Gibson, a senior official in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).Announcing the review, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:"Mark Gibson has extensive experience in working to improve the competitiveness of UK industry. His remit is to draw up clear recommendations for ensuring that British companies and workers are fully equipped for vital future jobs in industries like nuclear new build, and the other large scale engineering construction work. Thus ensuring that those jobs and that innovation come to the UK."

The announcement of the review comes as the conciliation service Acas today announces the result of its inquiry into the causes of the week-long dispute at Total's Lindsey oil refinery at North Killingholme, Lincolnshire, the third largest oil refinery in the UK.

The Unite and GMB unions claimed that Italian workers from subcontractor Irem for client Total were paid below the nationally agreed rate and worked excessive hours.