Bargaining council benefits outlined

Membership of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) brings benefits for both employers and employees in the civil engineering industry, says BCCEI operations manager Lindie Fourie.

Registration with the council is compulsory and aims to ensure that companies become

active participants in the industry. The BCCEI helps to facilitate collective bargaining related to wages and general terms of employment, with the objective of achieving fairer outcomes and minimising operational disruptions.

Collective bargaining outcomes can be of particular benefit to employers who lack the resources for prolonged negotiations, and to employees who may not be adequately organised to present demands at a company level.

Fourie underscores the advantage of this process, stating, “Being part of the BCCEI makes a company an active participant, able to leverage our national footprint and information sharing abilities including the opportunity, through party representatives, to lobby stakeholders in the industry."

Registration with the BCCEI can help clarify conditions of employment for the civil engineering sector, such as minimum allowances to which employees are entitled.

Ensuring that both employers and employees understand their rights and obligations can help to encourage contractors to compete fairly and reduce the practice of under-cutting minimum wages in an attempt to secure contracts.