“Turn up on site or else” – majors turn screw on subcontractors

Grant Prior 4 years ago
Share

Major contractors are threatening subbies with damages claims if they refuse to work during the coronavirus crisis.

The Enquirer has been contacted by scores of subcontractors accusing some Tier Ones of bullying as they threaten to put specialists on notice of delay and breach of contract.

While the majority of major contractors are trying to do the right thing in the current crisis in the face of huge pressure from clients – others are simply reverting to the bad old days of subbie bashing to protect their balance sheets.

One subcontractor said: “We don’t think the site we are on is safe and shouldn’t be operating.

“We made our position clear to the main contractor and they came back threatening us with breach of contract if we didn’t turn up as normal.

“To make matters even worse they have now returned our payment applications of recent months slashed to nearly nothing as they blatantly try to hold onto cash.”

Another subcontractor said: “The message from the Government is confusing but the message from some main contractors is clear – turn up or else.

“One big firm we are working for is adamant all its sites are open and if we don’t show up with a full complement of workers and materials they will put us on notice and hold us responsible for delays.

“It’s bullying at a time when the industry should be pulling together.”

The behaviour of some main contractors has saddened, but not surprised, industry veterans.

One said: “We’ve had years of these firms pretending they are great employers and care about their suppliers.

“Now as soon as a crisis hits they revert to type.

“They are forcing people to work on sites and trying to shaft anyone they can down the supply chain to hoard cash and it’s disgraceful to see.

“We all live in a very connected world now and everyone knows who the good guys and bad guys are in the industry at this time.

“The bad ones won’t be forgiven easily when this is all over.”

Latest news

M&E specialist Michael J Lonsdale goes under

£250m revenue London specialist placed into administration
20 hours ago

Another part of Real group heading for administration

Real SW staff given bad news as first contract already novated to Rydon
7 hours ago

HSE to prosecute Falcon after triple crane death

Court proceedings to start this month following tragedy in 2017
18 hours ago

Retention records added to stricter payment reporting laws

Disputed value of invoices to be bolted into prompt payment reporting
6 hours ago

Esh Group counts on record orders after resilient year

Order book swells to £600m raising hopes for year ahead
7 hours ago

Costain transportation MD exits

Sue Kershaw resigns after nearly four years heading highways, rail and aviation division
7 hours ago

Materials giant Heidelberg drops Hanson brand

Hanson UK renamed Heidelberg Materials
8 hours ago
Heidelberg Materials

Clegg Construction sinks £3m into the red

Clegg Group lifted by specialist food project arm after tough year in general building
1 day ago

£350m Birmingham triple tower scheme approved

Vast curving Ringway Centre to be demolished for 1,750 flats development
1 day ago

Eight face fight to renew £400m North West framework

Bidding starts for places on NWCH's £1m-£4m project framework
1 day ago

Midgard lands £245m Tottenham Hale towers

Three towers of up to 38 storeys complete north London regeneration scheme
1 day ago

Designs chosen for mini nuclear reactors

First contracts for next generation of nuclear power to be awarded next summer
1 day ago

Go-ahead for Wates £35m Hartlepool leisure centre job

Work on the Highlight waterfront centre to start in November
1 day ago

Buckingham Group supply chain hit for over £108m

Over 1,200 firms left in the lurch, while bond providers brace for £86m payout
4 days ago

Bidders day for £4bn-plus Palace of Westminster restoration

Tendering to start next July for main construction, integrator and design partners
4 days ago

Green light for 690-home Birmingham Smithfield scheme

Prosperity Group plans to start work in Autumn next year on major Smithfield scheme
4 days ago

Go-ahead for 289 homes next to Saltaire World Heritage site

Ambitious plan to demolish a vacant Bradford office complex for new residential quarter
4 days ago

Costain wins phase 2 of A40 Westway viaduct repairs

TfL re-signs Costain for Wood Lane to Marylebone Flyovers repairs
4 days ago

Regeneration specialist Muse gets new MD

North west chief Phil Mayall promoted to run whole Muse business
5 days ago

Building engineering services workers accept 7% pay rise

Two-year deal includes a 3% hourly rate rise from October 2024.
5 days ago

Inland Homes files for administration

Questions remain over house builder's last two years of accounts
6 days ago

Council orders developer to tear down tower blocks

Comer Homes told to demolish occupied towers in Woolwich after planning row
6 days ago

Bouygues UK restructure sees CEO exit

Contractor restructures as Rob Bradley retires
6 days ago

Fit-out firm BW Workplace returns to profit

London and south east fit-out firm sees revenue rebound 50% to £216m
5 days ago

Tarmac fined £1.275m after quarry death

26-year-old Luke Branston died during maintenance work at Leicestershire quarry
5 days ago

Galliford Try targets multi-rise affordable housing

Firm fills new role of director of affordable homes
5 days ago

Barratt to demolish more homes with faulty foundations

Number of homes to be demolished on Cambridge estate rises from 36 to 83
6 days ago

Steel contractor William Hare edges back to break-even

Revenue slides a quarter to £165m as firm records £108,000 profit
6 days ago

Willmott Dixon fails to agree final price for Newcastle leisure job

City council looks for new contractor as budgets under pressure
6 days ago

Bidding to start for civil service’s second home in Darlington

Government Property Agency will invite bids in Q4 for major new Government office complex
7 days ago

Contractor services