DOUGLAS Kell recently completed a record 40 years service with trade associations in North-East construction and civil engineering. He tells Business Editor Andy Richardson about the remarkable changes he's seen.

IT is hard to believe today that I work in the same industry I entered 40 years ago.

That was when a painter who washed his own overalls and earned an extra 10p a week.

Bricklayers and plasterers got the same little bonus for bringing the right tools to work – though they had to provide those tools themselves. The painter, however, got 2.5p a week extra over and above if he provided his own bicycle.

More sobering: joiners, slaters, tilers and plasterers received a halfpenny an hour over normal rate – yes, a halfpenny - to “fix” asbestos. I still have the rule book. It doesn’t say the type of asbestos. But the very word makes it a serious consideration.

At least one rule was impossible to apply. It said painters should have an extra five minutes before meals to wash their hands. But as another rule stated they weren’t allowed to leave their jobs until normal finishing time the concession was technically impossible.

Some bosses also must also have wondered at a rule saying that employing more than 135 workers on a building site obliged them to include in the washing facilities one nail brush.

Where a contractor employed more than 20, or work went beyond six weeks, washing facilities were compulsory but could include troughs. At least some things have changed for the better.

Those were just some idiosyncrasies in the builders’ bible I received along with a desk, a phone and three areas to cover – Sunderland, North Durham and South Shields – when I was appointed area secretary of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers (NFBTE) in 1975.

A national strike of builders had just been settled – over an extra halfpenny an hour. Changed atmosphere indeed for me after working in the comparative calm of finance and mortgages at North of England Building Society, but when interest rates were 15 per cent plus.

Fortunately, the local and regional rules that brought some of these odd working conditions have long since been overtaken by formalised national agreements. But today, as director of the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association in the North-East I find byzantine quirks continue, in local and national government as it affects civil engineering.

The North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), which tries to procure contracts on behalf of North-East local authorities to secure savings for the public sector, has little success when each of the 12 authorities under its umbrella have their own framework agreements.

Joint civils frameworks have been tried under the NEPO banner. But when each authority has its own requirements a unified tender is impossible to cost.

A recent NEPO effort to join the 12 into 1 for a civils framework resulted in shambles. Can you imagine having to cost 12 separate subsections with over 6,000 schedules in each; no duplications; no wonder the tender failed to materialise. Contractors, however, had to meet the cost of preparing the abortive tenders.

Darlington is the current lead authority for another potential NEPO civils framework. This latest framework is to include York. So a successful contractor in, say, Blyth might be expected to price for 13 authorities between Berwick and York with horrendous transport cost in consequence.

If it’s cups, saucers, teaspoons, collectively once all is agreed and on paper, NEPO’s brilliant. But for civils and construction everything’s so different. Why have I gone grey? Because I’m banging my head against a brick wall.

Local authorities say publicly they want change. Privately, I don’t believe they do.

When the NFBTE became the National Federation of Builders, my role and duties increased to looking after both Northern Counties region and Yorkshire and Humber from Durham. Since 2001, however, I’ve been director and secretary of the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association (North East). This has taken me on from advising on pay rates, terms and conditions of employment to promoting the North-East and trying to improve workload for my members and the construction industry.

It’s challenging - especially in working to see the North-East recognised as a region, not just part of “the North”. I don’t think I’ve achieved that yet, but hopefully the North-East will, one day get its fair share of public money and investments. I hope it doesn’t take another 40 years.

Another challenge today is to have civil engineering better understood. The majority of construction work requires civil engineering input. The public still don’t realise and appreciate what work civil engineers do; they only see bollards and holes in the roads. Partly that’s because a lot of civils work is underground - under the road, under your house, under the sea.

But think of all the pipes and tubes under a road, the black top above, the bridges – plus all the power stations, sewerage and water works – it’s incredible. Imagine: 10m gallons of water are used in the North-East every day, with a similar amount of waste. Who gets this to your homes and businesses? - civil engineers.

This sector offers both men and women many different and fulfilling jobs whose terms and conditions have rightly been improving. Basic pay rates earnings are far greater now, and it’s a good starting wage for young trainees and apprentices.

That’s why I commit strongly also to recruitment, training, and health and safety. Training’s thorough. Accidents are fewer and CECA continues to work closely with the Health and Safety Executive and others to reduce them further. We’ve a health and safety system and code, and a training company.

I think more must be done yet to convince young people and their families and careers teachers of the great prospect and the variety of jobs there are in civil engineering, but we hope to change that.

What is the proudest achievement and honour of my 40 years? Keeping membership of my organisations strong and being awarded an honorary fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers. To receive that fellowship without sitting exams but having had one’s contribution to the industry recognised is a great honour. I was shocked and delighted.

DOUGLAS Kell factfile:

Age: 64.

Born: West Hartlepool.

Married to Maureen with two daughters and two grandsons (and one grand-daughter on the way).

Lives at: Sunderland.

Attended four secondary schools and gained eight O levels. A levels, finance and other qualifications obtained by day release and at evening classes.

Previously with North of England Building Society, National Federation of Building Trades Employers (later National Federation of Builders).

Present positions: Director/secretary of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (North East) since February 2001, Secretary, Civil Engineering Training group North East, Secretary, Newcastle Construction Safety Group, Treasurer, HSE Working Well Together in North East, Secretary, Northern Counties Builder Federation.