Opinion 鈥� Page 351
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Pats on the back at the Plaisterers' awards
Do you know what a livery company is? Do you know what they do? Do you know their relevance to the construction industry in the 2009?In my sector, plastering and drylining, I regularly ask that question. Sadly my queries are often met by blank stares which are particularly disappointing ...
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Payment excuses are getting more inventive
The cheque is in the post has a whole new ring to it given the industrial relations at Royal Mail. Where has all the money gone? It is certainly not circulating in the Construction Industry and I don鈥檛 think it is just in a sorting office in London.Given that ...
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Comment
The task facing Paul Morrell
When the House of Commons鈥� business and enterprise committee made the appointment of a chief construction officer one of the main recommendations in its Construction Matters report in July last year, many people thought it was a great idea 鈥� and likely to remain just that. Sixteen months and a ...
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CommentReturn of the arbitrator
The 100-day form of arbitration has received a resurgence of interest in recent times, and rightly so, as it has several advantages over adjudication
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CommentA contractor's survival guide
How many times have you read about contractors losing money, or going bust, as the result of a few 鈥榩roblem contracts鈥�? So shouldn鈥檛 they do more to plan for them?
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Are you drowning?
Are you suspicious that one of your commercial partners is on the brink of insolvency? Here are a few signs that it鈥檚 about to happen 鈥� and how to protect yourself
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CommentHansom: Financial advisers
A City update, a pub in France during a football match, the RICS鈥� new service, even Amy Winehouse 鈥� it seems you can find business advice anywhere this week. Oh, except at a RIBA business advice event
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Comment
Crazy money
Richard Steer鈥檚 point that low bids are giving the QS industry a bad name is absolutely on the mark (13 November, page 34) 鈥� and if we鈥檙e not careful, what we鈥檒l see eventually is death by a thousand cuts. However, the larger consultancy firms such as the big six or ...
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CommentSound advice
The Noise Abatement Society鈥檚 Love Your Ears campaign aims to raise awareness and protect children鈥檚 hearing from permanent damage through continued exposure to loud music on MP3 players. However, it should also echo with the construction industry, where BB93 verification is yet to become mandatory and schools still risk failing ...
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The price is wrong
The message sent out by Richard Steer is very apt in relation to what is happening in the marketplace. I question, though, whether his points only apply to QS consultants
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It鈥檚 no fun anymore
Having been a member of the RICS for more than 50 years, I read with interest your leader on 20 November (page 3)
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My health and safety sleep-in
After 50 years鈥� unbroken employment in the construction industry I was made redundant in July. I鈥檝e been catching up on some 星空传媒 back numbers before savouring the luxury of going back to bed for an hour or so before breakfast
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Comment
Talking up the upturn
Following the Construction Products Association鈥檚 announcement that nine out of 10 construction products firms has reported significantly falling sales, it is easy to feel negative. However, as America and the rest of Europe are well on their way out of recession, we must be positive to ensure that we follow ...
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CommentSteel yourselves: John Sorrell on school design
Just as we鈥檝e finally started to build well-designed schools, the knives are out to cut back on quality. We have to resist those who threaten to wield them
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CommentCutting bureaucracy: Smash the system!
The spirit of adventure will thrive again, but only if we free it from the soul-crushing bureaucracy of planning rules, building regs, safety protocols and sustainability
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Comment星空传媒 buys a pint 鈥� for Watkins Gray International
Get a predominantly male crowd of people together in a pub, not all of whom know each other, and chances are they鈥檒l end up talking about sport. In this case: motor racing
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CommentRICS and its members: Losing touch
Members from across the whole of the organisation feel the RICS is morphing from an elected body for the members into a quango wannabe
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Comment
Your critics miss the point
Tony Bingham鈥檚 and Rudi Klein鈥檚 (9 October, page 32) articles on the OFT are linked and raise more questions than they answer
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Comment
but so does the OFT
Tony Bingham seems to have his finger on the pulse when it comes to explaining cover pricing, which was always a benign process (30 October, page 32)