Tens of thousands of British tradespeople are not being paid for the work they have done, according to a national campaign backed by Scruffs.
A petition has been launched as part of the #PayWhatYouOwe campaign, in order to highlight the crippling consequences of unpaid invoices in the construction industry.
A spokesperson at Scruffs, said: “Tradespeople are now increasingly at risk of severe financial burdens and pressure on their businesses, as invoices are delayed or disputed by customers. Imagine if your workplace refused to pay your salary or general cost of living?
“Our construction professionals work incredibly hard, through rain or shine, building our roads, fixing our homes and making our towns and cities nicer places to live – they deserve better than this.”
The petition, which at the time of writing has 183 signatures, acknowledges the severity of the issue and aims to remind supporters of the industry’s worth, which equates to nearly £164bn in the UK alone.
To enforce change, the petition will seek to provide tradespeople – particularly those who are self-employed – with more robust support. This could include establishing more rights for tradespeople when it comes to chasing invoices long beyond their due date, as well as introducing enforceable fines for unpaid bills to deter any unnecessary late payments.
The spokesperson continued: “Our #PayWhatYouOwe campaign, which kicked off with a campaign video on Facebook, has already reached more than 800,000 people. It is about more than encouraging quicker payments. It’s about respect.”
If you want to support the petition and help to give tradespeople more rights, click here. For more information about Scruffs and the #paywhatyouowe campaign, visit www.scruffs.com.
