Construction workers to get pay rise

Unions have secured a deal for an inflation-busting pay increase for construction workers.

Unions GMB, UCATT and UNITE reached the agreement for workers covered by the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement.

With inflation currently standing at 0.3%, the two-year deal will see an increase of 2.5% from 25^th July, increasing to 2.75% in June next year.

Sick pay and subsistence allowance will also rise at least in line with the basic pay rate increases. Other benefits will include an extra day’s holiday from 1st January 2017, which is worth an additional 0.4%. Taking annual leave will also see more flexibility.

The Unions have warned, however, that the CIJC agreement, which covers around 400,000 workers, is increasingly becoming unfit for purpose. The areas of concern for the Unions that still need to be addressed include rates of pay, the need to recognise the London Living Wage, and the need to make sure the agreement applies to company supply chains.

Phil Whitehurst , GMB National Officer for Construction, said: “After protracted negotiations GMB, Unite & UCATT have attained well over inflation increases over the length of a two year deal, with retrospective increases in sick pay and subsistence allowances from July 25th 2016 and an extra day’s annual leave from January 2017. GMB will consult its members with a firm recommendation of acceptance.

“That being said, the CIJC working rule agreement is still by no means the agreement of choice for the whole construction industry being well behind the terms and conditions of other construction agreements such as NAECI and JIB. All three Unions have tabled warnings to the employers that the agreement needs a thorough overhaul to bring it into the 21st century or it will wither at the vine and become unfit for purpose in a future innovative construction industry.”

Brian Rye, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, commented: “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”.

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