48

The maximum number of hours Laing O’Rourke’s staff will work each week under a ground-breaking scheme that will switch weekly-paid operatives onto salaries. The idea is that workers will get exactly the same pay packet for 48 hours as they would for 60 hours.

Laing O’Rourke is pre-empting possible changes to the European Working Time Directive. A new draft directive says that workers will have to opt out every year, rather than just once, and that unions may be able to veto the opt-out.

The Construction Confederation will fight to limit further restrictions on the clause, which it says will limit flexibility. But Laing O’Rourke’s move could force others to do the same if competition for tradesmen increases.

Workers in Manchester are already refusing to sign up: the basic rate is too low, they say.

600

The number of vacancies Mace is expecting to have to fill over the next year to fuel its growing business.

How, exactly? By starting its own recruitment business, of course. It’s called People and headed up by Jonathan Yurtsever, formerly of Redbrick Consulting, who owns a minority stake in the new business.

One of People’s first jobs will to be find 100 staff to work on a refurbishment programme across the UK and Ireland for Royal Bank of Scotland.

People, which has 15 staff in Brighton and London, will be run separately from Mace and will offer its recruitment services to other firms too. Yurtsever has said that he will be offering new recruits on a risk-sharing basis, so that if it doesn’t work out for the client, People won’t walk away with the money.

People is Mace’s second new business this year. In May it set up cost consultancy firm Sense.

8,744

The number of votes received by Alan Ritchie, the new general secretary of UCATT. Ritchie, who has been UCATT’s Scottish regional secretary since 1991, takes over from George Brumwell this month.

The run-up to the election was a bit of a soap opera. Michael Dooley, the London regional organiser, who received 4,435 votes was accused of attacking a colleague in a car park in a row over campaign leaflets. Dooley denied the allegations and there were suggestions of a smear campaign. He was told after the election there was no case to answer. He was magnanimous in defeat, however, vowing to work alongside Ritchie for the good of the union.

Ritchie has declared his key concerns as poor health and safety, bogus self-employment and the exploitation of immigrant workers. There was a 19% turnout for the election.

10,000

The number of sites that have registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme since its inception in 1997. The lucky 10,000th site, a Family Housing Association development by John Laing Partnership, even received a visit from construction minister Nigel Griffiths himself!

In the last 12 months the scheme has signed up 20% by value of all construction projects, £18bn-worth. It grew by 40% in 2003, and chairman David Hardy predicts that 2004 will see a growth of 30%.

The aim of the scheme is to minimise disruption and inconvenience to a site’s neighbours and the public. Once registered, one of 50 site monitors will visit the project to make sure it meets the scheme’s code of practice. Passers-by can comment on the site by ringing either the site manager, or by contacting the scheme directly. www.ccscheme.org.uk

3m

The Square footage of space for Canary Wharf’s upcoming development at Riverside South in London’s Docklands. That’s 280,000 sq m for all you metric types.

Tower Hamlets Development Committee resolved last month to grant planning permission for the Richard Rogers Partnership-designed development. The planning application comes subject to a £20m Section 106 agreement, which will include a new community fund, a small park, public space and transport improvements. The move heralds the beginnings of an upturn in the office market, although Canary Wharf won’t start building until it has pre-let a significant amount of space.

The towers will be 194m and 220m above OD, with 28 and 34 office floors respectively.