The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) says the sector has reached a three-year settlement agreement with respect to wages and conditions of employment.

According to the BCCEI all parties agreed to a 7.5% wage increase across the board for the first and second year. The increase for the third year will be 7.5% or CPI, whichever is the greater.

Negotiations began in the last week of March 2018, and the BCCEI notes that real industry issues were dealt with. The settlement will come into effect later this year after promulgation by the Minister of Labour.

The employers were represented by South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) and Consolidated Employers’ Organisation (CEO) and the employees by the Building Construction and Allied Workers Union (BACWU) and National Union of Mine Workers (NUM).

“The negotiations were characterised by a deep understanding by all parties of the pressure under which the civil engineering sector has been operating for the last few years,” the BCCEI says.