Construction industry ready for wage and allowance increases

Workers operating under the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement can expect wage and allowance increases this month following a two year pay deal worth 6.2%.

For the uninitiated, CIJC represents the largest agreement of its kind in the construction industry today. It covers individuals operating in the civil engineering and so-called “biblical” trades of bricklaying, carpentry and painting.

The agreement itself, signed by Unite and the GMB, will see pay rates rise by an inflation beating 3.2% from Monday 25 June. This increase means that the minimum rate for craft workers will be £12.31 an hour, while the general operative or labourer minimum rate will rise to £9.26 an hour. Additionally, pay rates will increase by a further 2.9% from Monday 24 June 2019.

Sick pay will also rise to £130 per week – a 6.1% increase, paid in addition to statutory sick pay – and it will now be available for 13 weeks instead of the ten weeks currently paid for. The industry death benefit, paid via the B&CE, will also increase from £32,000 to £40,000. If a worker is killed on-site or while travelling to and from work their family will receive double that amount.

Unite National Officer for Construction Jerry Swain said: “This deal is a strong step in the right direction and will give construction workers a well-deserved pay increase. The increases in allowances and other benefits, underline the value of working under an industrial agreement and being part of collective bargaining arrangements.

“Over the next two years we will be working to further strengthen the agreement and ensure that it is brought into line with other agreements in all matters and is seen as relevant on major construction sites. Construction workers need to remain vigilant that employers actually pay the agreed pay rates. Too often in construction employers try to boost their profits by failing to pay agreed increases.”

GMB National Officer Ross Murdoch added: “Given the current climate in the wider construction industry and overall economic climate, this deal is both a recognition of a hard-working, highly-skilled workforce and a demonstration of real commitment to maintaining meaningful joint national industrial agreement.

“As further significant construction projects emerge over the next few years, this deal offers genuine hope of retaining the much needed skills for the industry, as well as attracting new apprentices, with the percentage uplift for apprentice rates further reinforcing the importance of this latter point.”

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