The Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) on Monday urged smaller contractors unable to comply with all the provisions of the civil engineering sectors’ collective agreements under the statutory body to check if they were eligible for exemption.
Five collective agreements, concluded under the auspices of the BCCEI, were currently in place between the Building, Construction and Allied Workers Union and the National Union of Mineworkers and employer representative, the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors.
BCCEI general secretary Nick Faasen explained in a statement that some companies were not in a position to pay the respective minimum wages within the industry and that the council could provide a certain level of protection for the companies under its scope.
“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,” he said.
“The BCCEI works with companies to explain and advise on how the exemption process works and how to submit an application for exemption,” he pointed out.
All applications were heard by an exemption board comprised of industry specialists.