Smaller contractors in the civil engineering sector that believe they are unable to comply with all provisions of the collective agreements of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) may be eligible for exemption.

This is according to Nick Faasen, general secretary of the BCCEI, who is urging these companies to make contact with the BCCEI sooner rather than later.

“The BCCEI is aware that some companies are genuinely not in a position to pay the respective minimum wages, and one of the primary benefits of the BCCEI is the level of protection it provides for those companies that fall under its scope,” Faasen explains.

While registering with the BCCEI is mandatory for all companies operating within the civil engineering sector, there are a lot of companies that are completely unaware that there is a bargaining council for this industry. And in some instances, where companies are aware they do not understand how the BCCEI can assist them.

Faasen explains that the BCCEI works with companies to explain and advise on how the exemption process works and how to submit an application for exemption.

All applications are heard by an exemption board comprised of industry specialists. “These experienced individuals are well aware that the civil engineering sector is under enormous pressure, and take this into account while ensuring that both the employer and the employee’s respective rights are protected,” he says.

There are currently five collective agreements, concluded under the auspices of the BCCEI, in place between the employee representatives, Building, Construction and Allied Workers Union (BCAWU ) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and the employer representative, SAFCEC (South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors).