Various agreements between employers and unions in the civil engineering industry are now finalised and will be taken to court on 18 February.
This follows a negotiation battle last year between employers represented by SAFCEC and unions represented by BCAWU and NUM. The agreements include: • wage and task grade agreement • CIRBF agreement (construction industry retirement benefit fund) • registration and administration expenses agreement• conditions of employment agreement.
All employers within the civil engineering industry are urged to register with the Bargaining Council of the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) and begin discussions regarding administration and dispute levy deductions with their employees. The same will apply to employers and employees who are currently not contributing to a retirement fund. CIDB1-3 graded employers are excluded from BCCEI registration. The date from which deductions will have to be made will be communicated to the industry shortly. As of 1 March 2014 all industry disputes will be referred to the BCCEI but hearings will continue to take place at the CCMA. The CCMA will provide assistance with the establishment of a dispute settlement department for the industry. BCCEI has transformed the stock standard main industry agreement and pulled it apart into various separate agreements. By doing this, it narrows down disputes to a specific agreement. The council provides all parties with an opportunity to proactively address some of the industry challenges in a positive manner. It will provide an institutionalised platform for bargaining of collective agreements suited to the industry.
