Zululand Regional Round Up  - March 2011

Shoddy workmanship and contractual disputes

Something that one would not expect to have to deal with when employing the services of a member of Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal is shoddy workmanship and contractual disputes, however if it does occur, the Association is obligated to intervene on behalf of the client in order to facilitate an amicable resolution.

Members of the Association subscribe to a code of conduct and if in breach, the Association by mandate, holds them accountable. 

Within March month, we were on two separate occasions asked to assist members of the public, the first relating to shoddy workmanship, the second a contractual dispute. In both instances the contractors involved were not members of the Association, it was therefore somewhat fortunate, that we were able to be of service.

A local contractor, who had quoted on work that included painting and repairs, essentially did a patch up job. Repairs weren’t carried out properly and the paint work was sub standard, within four months, it had bubbled and pealed. As specified in the quote, the contractor had not prepared the wall prior to painting with dampseal and undercoating. Fortunately the faults were acknowledged and are busy being corrected.  

The other instance was a dispute relating to payment whereby a member of the public queried items she was being charged a handling fee on. In this instance the contractor was caught red handed taking a chance, and dealt with appropriately.

The general public is advised to ensure that the builder they choose is a member of the Association, it could save a lot of headaches, further down the line.

Labour Disputes

There has been a definite increase in labour disputes and queries from members relating to the following:

• Conditions of employment. 
• Contracts
• Disciplinary procedures
• Wage Disputes
• Matters relating to working hours and payment

An interesting one that came up involved a member who on a daily bases, was collecting his crew at a prearranged pick up point at 6:30 am, saving them money on public transport. They then somehow concluded that they should get paid overtime, for the period between pickup and 8am work commencement.

Needless to say that this particular matter wasn’t too challenging to resolve, it isn’t always the case though and in most cases, industry related disputes do prove challenging. Members are reminded not to hesitate to consult the Association, we are here to help.

Safety Training

Lastly, our Zululand office held its first, first aid training course which took place towards the end of February, 15 members were in attendance and feedback was exceedingly positive.  We are running the course again in May and already have bookings.  If you are interested, please contact our Zululand office and note that seats will be allocated, on a first come first serve bases.

Paula Leah | Zululand Regional Manager