Ex Mowlem director on Carillion, Pride furore: Readers’ comments

Construction Manager has rounded up a selection of the best comments on the website over the past month, including lively discussions on why there appear to be no gay men in construction, a former Mowlem director’s thoughts on Carillion, and whether or not Japanese knotweed really is as destructive as its reputation suggests.

Bam director asks: Why no gay men at our company? (CM 03/07)

This article is totally ridiculous. What on earth has sexuality got to do with employment? The next thing will be what are your ethical views? This is rubbish not a relevant discussion to have in respect of the workplace.

Graham Hooley

Maybe, just maybe, people may like to keep their sexuality private? Maybe, people may not like to stamp their sexuality over social media on jump on the band wagon of what is in the public spotlight and trendy. Let people be what they want to be without asking them to identify themselves by their sexual preferences.

Mehmet Bekir

Looks like Graham Hooley is pretty obviously part of the problem. Well done to BAM! – although lots of other construction companies have given this type of support already.

Dave Raval

The article has nothing to do with employment or at least how to tackle unemployment. It is not even relevant to the work place and its ethics. I disagree completely with the content of the article.

Ehab Shallaby

Reading through these comments, I am appalled. It is a sad truth that the construction industry is slow to change, but some of these comments are so narrow minded. If gay men and women, or for that matter anyone, is dissuaded from joining a career in construction for some reason then we need to find out why. For an organisation to have 1700 employees, and not a single one of them is, or feels safe enough to admit to being gay, then something is wrong.

Jack

Ex-Carillion boss: Payment problem starts with government (CM 12/07)

That’s a complete load of nonsense from Howson. I was a director at Carillion for three years after the takeover of Mowlem and the message was "can’t pay, won’t pay". The whole culture was about overbearing central control (from Wolverhampton) of all the levers of management except delivery (the difficult part!). It was a Soviet command and control business model which sought to destroy any personal decision making by individual managers and directors. Consequently clear truths, common sense and factual reporting were non existent.

Gareth Davies

I think this is more smoke and mirrors from Carillion top brass. I have worked in outsourcing, predominantly in government contracts since 1995 until I retired in 2018. The secret to securing payment, including dealing with variations is to be clear, open, and honest, and to provide the necessary detail to support the case. I did not experience the sort of problems that Howson alleges.

Michael Ian Watts

‘No evidence’ Japanese knotweed damages structures, Aecom says (CM 09/07)

I agree with the report findings. In over 30 years surveying buildings and structures where Japanese Knotweed is present, I found no structural damage. Furthermore, I have been monitoring a large clump of Japanese knotweed at my local park and this growth is close to tram tracks, over the last six years the growth has not expanded it just produces leaves and flowers in the spring and summer and dies back in the autumn and winter.

Phillip Kent

I’ve seen more damage from buddleia and mare’s tail than Japanese knotweed. The zonal recommendations on Japanese knotweed add some sanity to its fearful reputation. There are far more other serious concerns than this which surveyors have to contend with when it comes to damage. And the cost/loss implications are bewildering.

Shaun McHugh