French construction sector pulls together

French rental association DLR is one of 20 organisations in the French construction industry that have signed a statement to say they will do everything in their power to support the industry through France’s second national lockdown, which began on Friday 30 October as a result of a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

Other bodies that have signed the statement include the FFB (French Building Federation), the FNTP (National Federation of Public Works) and the AIMCC (Construction Product Industries Association).

Construction work is allowed to continue in the country, provided jobsites operate in accordance with recommendations from OPPBTP (the French Professional Agency for Risk Prevention in Building and Civil Engineering).

The industry organisations that have signed the statement have agreed to maintain activity, protect employees’ health and safety, preserve the supply of materials and equipment to construction sites, and encourage the employment and training of young people.

The signatories agree they have a collective responsibility to draw upon lessons learned from the first lockdown to prevent site closures, the blocking of permits by local authorities, the termination of contracts, the thwarting of deliveries, problems with transporting teams of workers, and damage and theft.

The statement says, “This commitment reifies the need for strong collective action by all the players, upstream and downstream, in the construction sector. It is in fact together that activity and jobs can be maintained by the sector, guaranteeing the maintenance of economic activity, social cohesion and territories in France.”