Irvine construction workers may have a better chance of getting work locally, if they’re part of a union, after Irvine city councilors voted unanimously on June 13 to adopt an agreement with an organization that represents 48 local unions in 14 trades. The agreement will prioritize the hiring of local Irvine residents for construction projects in…

Migrant workers from all over China’s northeast have been recruited to Jilin Province, hard hit by COVID-19, to urgently build makeshift hospitals for quarantine. But entire teams of workers were subsequently infected as quarantine patients were sent to the hospitals as construction work was still being completed. According to the workers, local authorities have concealed the…

At least 300 migrant workers constructing makeshift hospitals in China’s Jilin Province were infected with COVID-19 due to the harsh living environment and lack of protection. Now, these workers have been quarantined in those makeshift hospitals, all the while having not received payment for their labor, but forced to pay for quarantine. “We are diagnosed…

The New South Wales (NSW) construction industry will return to full capacity from next Monday, Sept. 27, as vaccination rates climb. All construction sites will open at a total capacity of one person per four square metres, regardless of workers’ vaccination status. However, workers from the 12 local government areas (LGA) of concern will still…

A growing shortage of building workers, including bricklayers and carpenters, is holding back firms as they struggle to keep up with demand for new housing and infrastructure, according to a report. More expensive building materials are also affecting companies, which expect costs to rise by 10 percent over the next year, said the Royal Institution…