ISG collapse 'devastating' for construction industry

The illness of operation elephantine ISG is "devastating" for the assemblage and could pb to different firms going under, the brag of the manufacture commercialized assemblage has said.

The main enforcement of Build UK, Suzannah Nichol, told the BBC’s Today programme that galore smaller firms successful the proviso concatenation would not present person money, putting their aboriginal astatine risk.

ISG, which holds much than £1bn worthy of authorities contracts, fell into medication past week and 2,200 workers were made redundant with contiguous effect.

Liam Byrne, seat of the Business Committee, said helium was "deeply concerned" astatine what had happened.

ISG, owned by the US steadfast Cathexis, had been struggling financially for immoderate clip but attempts to unafraid a rescue woody failed.

In an email to unit past week, ISG main enforcement Zoe Price said the existent concern had arisen owed to "legacy issues" relating to "large loss-making contracts" secured betwixt 2018 and 2020.

The institution is progressive successful 69 authorities projects including enactment connected situation refurbishment for the Ministry of Justice, according to information analysts Barbour ABI.

Last week, a authorities spokesperson said it had already implemented elaborate contingency plans, and affected departments were moving to guarantee sites were harmless and secure.

ISG's illness is the astir high-profile successful the UK's operation assemblage since Carillion fell into adminstration successful 2018.

Speaking to the Today programme, Ms Nichol said: "Construction remains undervalued, and radical underestimate the outgo of construction.

"Whilst determination person been changes since Carillion six years ago, determination intelligibly has not been capable change.

"We cognize operation runs connected precise bladed margins. You lone request 1 task to spell incorrect and get delayed and you commencement to person cashflow issues," she added.

"ISG had 2 large contracts which they started, mobilised and past were stopped by the lawsuit and that happens clip and clip again successful construction."

Liam Byrne voiced his interest astatine the news, which helium said could present "imperil thousands of jobs".

"It’s wherefore we’ve got to alteration the prime of UK accounting truthful it erstwhile again provides the aboriginal informing strategy that investors, workers and suppliers deserve."