News & Info: Newsletters

Construction Industry News and Views-December 2022

Monday, 27 February 2023   (0 Comments)
Posted by: Strinivasen Rajgopaul

 

 

Construction Industry News and Views Edition 210 05 December 2022

Dear Members and Readers

Reflections on 2022 are trending as many businesses are busy wrapping up their operations for the year. 2022 has flown by rapidly, amidst economic and industry fluctuations. Members can rest assured that the Association prioritises its lobbying and advocacy role as it continues to represent the interests of its members.

The Association thanks its members for their loyalty and support and pledges to continue to provide a value-added member service. Due to the challenging business environment, a decision has been taken not to increase membership fees in 2023. In addition, the Member Value Proposition has been reviewed and further tailored to suit the changing needs of members. Member year-end meetings were held during November this year, which saw members attend in person to listen to pertinent discussions and to network.

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal is positioned as a one-stop business hub and is continuously looking at ways to serve the growing needs of the industry by providing reliable, convenient and affordable services. These services are designed to support members and clients with the successful running of their businesses. The Association proudly launches its Legal and Dispute Resolution unit, which offers representation at adjudication and arbitration proceedings, chairing of disciplinary hearings, assisting with retrenchment processes and representation at CCMA and NHBRC disputes. Dispute resolution is also offered and provides the services of an Arbitrator or Adjudicator as required.

The human capital of any organisation is one of its greatest assets. The Health and Wellness Scheme is being launched to promote a better work-life balance for individuals. It focuses on the well-being of the workforce and offers screening, detection and preventative measures. Please be sure to contact the Association for more information and discounted rates on these additional services.

In this final edition of the newsletter for 2022, proactive steps are provided to mitigate material price escalations and the fundamental principles of negotiation are set out. Information is shared on how to safeguard your sites during the break. Learn about effective communication in the workplace and acquire key interview skills. Be sure to read about remaining vigilant with the increase in phishing attempts.

The Association will be closed from 23 December 2022 and will reopen on 3 January 2022. In the event of an emergency during this period, please contact Bilaal Dawood on 083 735 2030 or Shelly Kupferman on 082 990 6888.

We wish our members and readers an enjoyable holiday season as you recharge for a successful and prosperous 2023.

Stay safe and enjoy!

Enjoy the newsletter!

 

Vikashnee Harbhajan | Executive Director

Negotiation Fundamentals

Negotiation is a part of everyday life and is an important skill to hone especially if one is running a business. Construction business owners will engage in negotiations daily, for example, when employing a new employee, securing a new contract or client, negotiating prices with suppliers, hiring equipment, buying or selling equipment, property lease, sale agreements, wage negotiations, budget negotiations, loan negotiations, dispute resolution, etc. Read more

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Safeguard your site during the festive season

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. Read more

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Material Escalation – The adverse impacts and how to manage these risks

Statistics South Africa has reported that the prices of materials used in the South African construction sector have increased by 13.2% year-on-year in February 2022 from an annual increase of 14.5% in January 2022. Read more

_________________________________________________________________________________________

How does emotional intelligence aid effective communication in the workplace?

The development of technology has caused society to spend more time online, and this includes our communication channels. We no longer write letters, but rather emails. Text messages and WhatsApp have replaced phone calls and communication has become more frequent and instantaneous, yet more varied. With each message sent, there is an opportunity for misunderstanding. Read more

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Be Vigilant - SARS warns of an influx in phishing attempts

SARS has reported an influx of phishing attempts by fraudsters impersonating SARS. This has resulted in taxpayers unwittingly providing them with personal information which is used to defraud both the taxpayer and SARS. Read more

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Interview skills for the employer

An interview is defined as a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through a face-to-face or telephonic interaction. The interview procedure is a crucial part of the recruitment process because it identifies the best candidate for a position within an organisation. Read more

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Advertorial: Thekweni Reinforcing (Pty) Ltd

In the year 2000, Thekweni Reinforcing (Pty) Ltd entered a competitive marketplace with a vision and mission that translated into a new generation black empowered business which has stayed the course and proved to be a success story that has a proud lineage. Read more

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Training Academy

The training programmes are intended to provide access to employed candidates, unemployed candidates and school leavers, as well as to facilitate workplace training.

Click here to access the training calendar.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

CPAP – Indices

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.

Click here to download.

 

 

 

 

Master Builders Kwazulu-Natal - Voice of the KZN Construction Industry

 

 

Master Builders Kwazulu-Natal

40 Essex Terrace
Durban
3629
Phone: 031 266 7070
Email:info@masterbuilders.co.za


If you wish to stop receiving email from us, you can simply remove yourself by visiting:

http://www.members.masterbuilders.co.za/members/EmailOptPreferences.aspx?id=68702934&e=strini@masterbuilders.co.za&h=cd8a560bf49d201a7cda2e85e89d0efa6b5c03d4