Construction Industry News and Views Edition 199 6 December 2021
Dear Members and Readers
As 2021 draws to a close, the Omicron COVID variant has heightened concerns around the impact on businesses, lives, livelihoods and the economy. Members are again urged to take every precaution to combat the spread of the virus and protect the workplace. Please contact the Association for advice on COVID protocols and other related matters.
The FNB/BER Building Confidence Index declined by 1 point to 34 in Quarter 4 of 2021. It was however noted that there was an increase in main contractor building activity, boosting profitability. There was also significant improvement reported in activity at the start of the building pipeline, which augurs well for the industry as it signals more work on the horizon.
As we move towards a new year, we would like to assure members that the Association will continue to be unrelenting in its efforts to represent your best interests at all levels as we continue to lobby and advocate for a more sustainable construction industry. There are several initiatives underway which are designed to bring some reprieve for our members amidst the recent challenges. Members are reminded that the Print Studio offers a courier service and will be stockists of the GCC suite of contracts.
In this final edition for 2021, we highlight why you should never perform work without a written contract. Cox Yeats have also provided a follow up to their previous article “Enforceability of Adjudicators Decisions” which delves further into the subject. As construction sites close for the December period, we provide some recommended safety protocols for implementation to safeguard your site. The Association proudly invites members to make application for their employees to participate in a skills intervention for site supervisors and foreman.
The Association will be closed from Friday, 24 December 2021 and will reopen on Monday, 3 January 2022. In the event of an emergency during this period, please contact Neil Enslin on 082 381 6170 or Prishana Datadin on 071 922 0488.
We take the opportunity to wish our members and readers a safe and enjoyable festive season and may 2022 be filled with success and prosperity.
Stay safe and enjoy!
Vikashnee Harbhajan | Executive Director
The importance of a signed agreement
Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal continually elaborates how critically important it is for contractors to have a signed agreement in place, before commencing work on a building or construction project. As part of the Association’s ongoing effort to ensure that members are contractually astute, Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal recently hosted two Contractual and Legal workshops which focused on the JBCC suite of contracts. The first was tailored specifically for sub-contractors while the other, was aimed exclusively at main contractors.
Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Short Skills Intervention
The conversation around the shortage of trade skills has been taking place for many years. Various research projects have concurred with these sentiments. The quandary with which we are faced is that the route to a full qualification is often too long. In many cases these skills are required with urgency. To meet its immediate skills, the industry requires the implementation of quick impact short skill interventions.
For those members taking a ‘Builders break’, the Association recommends that contractors plan well for this period since the industry cannot afford any further losses due to any oversights. The most important task is to secure the site and safeguard all assets.
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Sequel to Enforceability of Adjudicator's Decisions
The previous article entitled “When is an Adjudicator’s Decision Unenforceable?” dealt with the decision of the Gauteng High Court in the Framatome case1 handed down on 30 September 2020. That decision was taken on appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein (SCA) which has just handed down judgment.This article is a follow on and provides the latest word on the subject.
The Employment Equity (EE) Act is a law that promotes equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment through the elimination of unfair discrimination. It also ensures that affirmative action is implemented and measured in order to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups and to ensure that equitable representation is made in all occupational levels of the workforce.
The stress of finding the right balance between saving adequately for retirement while spending on daily necessities, is becoming more difficult as time ticks on. Are you saving enough for retirement? Do you have sufficient funds for health care costs, education and the basic necessities? You visualise funds flowing out of your hands, but not much flowing into your hands.
The training programmes are intended to provide access to currently employed candidates, unemployed candidates and school leavers, as well as to facilitate workplace training.
Members who have current contracts that make provision for Contract Price Adjustment are able to download the latest published indices from Statistics South Africa by clicking on the following link.
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