In already testing times things look set to take a further turn for the worse for construction. As the Construction Products Association warns that the market for housing, offices and shops will fall away, more companies are looking to the public sector for an alternative pool of work. The work is there - the government spends about ￡30bn on construction - but much of it is locked up in frameworks, most of which are not up for retender until 2010/11. This means newcomers are at a fairly disastrous disadvantage. Companies wanting to hop on the public sector gravy train will find swaths of frameworks that operate a strict door policy. And those with the luck or foresight to have secured places on framework lists will be fighting tooth and nail to maintain their position. In short, if you're not on the list you're going to have trouble gaining entry. "Because of the public sector framework agreements, there are companies on contracts for years," says Stef Stefanou, chairman of John Doyle. "So what happens to those who are not on the list? They will get desperate for the remaining work in the coming months and we will see a stampede."
展开▼
