Engineering construction strike back on as workers reject offer

London - Engineering construction workers have voted to reject an employers' offer under the terms of the 2010 NAECI Terms and Conditions of Employment, the GMB has announced. The ballot was held over the past two weeks over the offer by the national negotiating body for the engineering construction industry in response to a seven-point trade union claim* covering the 30,000 workers in the industry.

“The members want more progress on the skills and unemployment registers and they want to copper-fasten the pre award audit to screen out employers who plan to undercut the agreed rates and terms and conditions," said Phil Davies GMB national secretary.

"An employer’s offer of working parties on the registers is seen as jam tomorrow and the members no longer trust the employers to deliver," added Davies. "The members want the package to be completed now so that they can see what they are getting. The next step is to go back to the employers to see if they are up for further talks.”

Workers on seven sites have already voted for industrial action in pursuit of the claim, though union leaders and employers have since neared agreement over the 2010 NAECI agreement. At a meeting in early Sept, both sides settled a range of outstanding issues, including a pay deal, which will cover a two-year period to January 2012.

After that meeting, GMB national secretary Davies reported: "We now have a pay offer on the table for a two-year deal. A new procedure has been agreed to restore confidence and to eliminate rouge contractors and rouge contracts from the industry.

According to the union boss, both sides had also agreed on a process to develop a skills register and database. The unions, he said, would work on this agreement with the employers over the coming months to maintain and raise standards and to enhance job security in the industry in consultation with its members in the industry.

*Union claims for the 2010 NAECI Terms and Conditions of Employment included:

- A pay rise

- A national skills register

- Procedure to ensure all workers have appropriate skills

- Register of unemployed workers in the industry which the employers must use to fill vacancies

- Transparent, effective and pre-award auditing system to monitor ‘Blue Book’ rates and other benefits that apply to all and to ensure that those winning tenders have the ability to pay the agreed rates

- 12 paid trips home for all workers regardless of where they come from

- The ability for union full time officials to instigate grievance procedure at any site.