Chamber's 'Bob the Builders' looking for treasure at the DfE

Having a ‘rootle’ around, as that pathologist on the TV series ‘Endeavour’ puts it, on the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce website I see their equivalent of the ‘Organisation Todt’ is consolidating itself. Apparently the Construction Committee and the Construction Forum have both been doing the same things so they think they should harmonise things.

Tellingly they say:

“It’s been clear for some time that some of the good work done by both the Construction Forum and Chamber’s Construction Committee was being duplicated. Indeed many companies and individuals within the industry were represented on both bodies. A catalyst for the change was the formation of the new Department for Enterprise agencies. For the construction industry to continue to have a strong voice within the agency model it became clear that the Forum and Chamber’s Construction Committee needed to combine their strengths”.

There’s more of it here if you can bear to read without hurling yourself out of a fourth storey window or violently vomiting:

http://www.iomchamber.org.im/public/latest-news/chamber-of-commerce-cons...

Not difficult to read this doublespeak for what it is. Basically the Chamber ‘bricks and mortar brigade’ want to continue to shape the agenda down at the Department of Enterprise so building land continues to come online at the pace they require and Island house prices remain some of the highest in the British Isles. Needless to say Skelly and his acolytes will facilitate this because their first loyalty is to the Chamber not the electorate. It's called democracy Manx style.

Also pointedly the government have systematically dismantled any arrangements for dialogue with Unions or organised labour over the past two decades. I suppose it's what COMIN would call a level playing field although actually the incline is about 90% in the bosses favour.

Image: Bob and the boys looking for buried treasure in Upper Church Street!

Bernard Moffatt