Workers covered by the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement are set to receive an above-inflation two year pay deal following negotiations between a range of builder federations and the GMB, UCATT and Unite unions.
A new agreement means pay for 400,000 construction workers will increase by 2.5% from 25 July 2016 and then by a further 2.75% in June 2017. Staff will also receive an extra day’s holiday from 1 January 2017 (worth an additional 0.4%), while more flexibility has been secured around when holidays can be taken.
Industry sick pay and subsistence allowance will also rise at least in line with the increases in basic pay and travel allowances have also been reconfigured with claims now being calculated in miles rather than kilometres.
A number of ‘skilled operator’ rates (including slinger/signaller, banksman, fork lift truck and telehandler drivers) will receive pay increases above the basic awards.
In securing the deal the unions have expressed dissatisfaction with the current CIJC arrangements. Areas of concern include rates of pay, the failure to recognise the London Living Wage and the lack of a mechanism to ensure the agreement applies to company supply chains.
Brian Rye, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, said: “This deal ensures that workers will enjoy above inflation increase for the next two years. However employers need to understand that the CIJC agreement does not meet the needs of the workforce and unless it is radically reformed it will soon cease to be relevant to the industry”.
Unite national officer for construction John Allott said: “While we welcome this improved pay deal, it must act as a firm foundation for moving the agreement forward, the employers need to recognise that the deal is not an end in itself, but the beginning of the journey to address many of the problems that currently face our members in construction.
The CIJC agreement urgently needs to be revamped for the modern workplace - and the unions want to work constructively with employers to achieve this goal.”
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