New wage agreement talks ‘on course’

Good progress is being made towards the introduction of new pay and working conditions for M&E and plumbing operatives.

Seven of the industry’s largest contractors remain in consultation with their combined workforce of around 6,000 operatives about the Building Engineering Services National Agreement (BESNA).

The agreement was developed by the HVCA to harmonise pay and terms and conditions of employment for mechanical, electrical and plumbing workers.

NG Bailey, Balfour Beatty Engineering Services, T Clarke, Crown House Technologies, Gratte Brothers, Shepherd Engineering Services and SPIE Matthew Hall are currently consulting with their workforce, but others are expected to adopt the agreement in due course. MJN Colston has opted to follow a different timetable to the others, but remains committed to the principle of the agreement.

Pay rates of electrical operatives will be unchanged, but mechanical and plumbing rates will be standardised in line with their electrical counterparts. The employers have reassured their workers that many will enjoy improved terms and conditions and that they will continue to be directly employed. They also provided reassurances that no redundancies were planned as a result of the introduction of the agreement and that existing pensions and welfare benefits would be maintained.

Competitive

The major contractors are concerned that without a streamlined agreement it will be impossible for UK employers to remain competitive in the long term, with the result that more projects might have to be completed through the use of agency labour.

However, the trade union Unite has accused the employers of trying to cut rates of pay by putting semi-skilled workers into skilled jobs so as to reduce costs. It has also accused the firms of trying to bully their workers into accepting the new terms by threatening to dismiss them if they refuse to sign.

“None of that is true,” said Blane Judd, chief executive of the HVCA. “The union can rest assured that there will be no reduction in job numbers as a direct result of the BESNA. The industry desperately needs to hang on to its existing skills base, with the result that employers will be doing everything they can to persuade their workforce to remain in their jobs under the new agreement.

“Of course, it is impossible absolutely to guarantee that exactly the same 6,000 workers will continue to be in the workforce at the end of the process,” he added. “It could be that the process of modernising and upskilling will persuade some to move on, but that will be their decision.”

Discussions on the BESNA started with Unite in March of this year, but the union subsequently disengaged from the negotiation process.

“The HVCA continues to believe that the involvement of Unite is important to the long-term viability of the BESNA, and our door remains well and truly open to our union colleagues,” said Mr Judd. 

For more information visit the BESNA website.    

Source: HVCA website