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The growth of self-employment in British construction

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  • Graham Winch

Abstract

This paper explores the issues around the remarkable growth in labour-only subcontracting on a selfemployment basis in the British construction industry over the last 30 years. Following a presentation of the available data from the Department of Employment, the paper explores the reasons behind this remarkable development, and concludes that the main reason for the growth of self-employment since 1977 is the strategic choice of construction companies to emphasize flexibility over productivity as sources of competitive advantage. The paper also explores the implications of this strategic choice, and concludes that, as a result, the ability of the industry to increase productivity and quality is compromised due to the ways in which labour-only subcontracting and self-employment hinder training and innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Graham Winch, 1998. "The growth of self-employment in British construction," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(5), pages 531-542.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:conmgt:v:16:y:1998:i:5:p:531-542
    DOI: 10.1080/014461998372079
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:sae:niesru:v:116:y::i:1:p:45-55 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. S.J. Prais & Hilary Steedman, 1986. "Vocational Training in France and Britain: the Building Trades," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 116(1), pages 45-55, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Phillip Toner, 2008. "Survival and Decline of the Apprenticeship System in the Australian and UK Construction Industries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(3), pages 431-438, September.
    2. Jan Druker & Richard Croucher, 2000. "National collective bargaining and employment flexibility in the European building and civil engineering industries," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(6), pages 699-709, December.
    3. Andrew Dainty & Stephen Ison & Geoffrey Briscoe, 2005. "The construction labour market skills crisis: the perspective of small-medium-sized firms," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 387-398.
    4. Andrew R. J. Dainty & Stephen G. Ison & David S. Root, 2005. "Averting the Construction Skills Crisis: A Regional Approach," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 20(1), pages 79-89, February.
    5. Judith Watson & Graham Sharp, 2007. "Barriers to Skills Development in a Local Construction Labour Market," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 22(2), pages 123-137, May.
    6. Conen, Wieteke & Schippers, Johannes Jan & Schulze Buschoff, Karin, 2016. "Self-employed without personnel between freedom and insecurity," WSI Studies 05, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    7. Stephen Mustchin, 2014. "Union modernisation, coalitions and vulnerable work in the construction sector in Britain," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 121-136, March.
    8. Felix Behling & Mark Harvey, 2015. "The evolution of false self-employment in the British construction industry: a neo-Polanyian account of labour market formation," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 29(6), pages 969-988, December.
    9. Lippert, Inge, 2006. "Niedriglohnstrategien im Hochlohnsektor: Öffnung des Arbeitsmarktes und Beschäftigung von MOE-Arbeitskräften in der Metall- und Elektroindustrie," Arbeitspapiere 129, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.
    10. Jeppe ZN Ajslev & Jeppe L Møller & Roger Persson & Lars L Andersen, 2017. "Trading health for money: agential struggles in the (re)configuration of subjectivity, the body and pain among construction workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 31(6), pages 887-903, December.

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