Engineering News reports that to ease wage negotiations in its industry, the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) has embarked on building strong negotiations through training.  

Members of the National Negotiating Forum (NNF) have been undergoing training courses to improve their negotiation skills.  During 2016, two training courses from the International Labour Organisation were completed, followed by a collective bargaining/negotiation skills course and a relationship building initiative workshop this year.  Both workshops were presented by Conflict Dynamics.  The NNF intends to start its industry negotiations during the first week of February 2018, even though the current collective agreement only expires in August 2018.  The council has also established a dispute resolution centre – accredited by the CCMA – to conciliate and arbitrate in cases in the sector where parties cannot reach a settlement.  The council’s party members include the Building, Construction and Allied Workers Union and the National Union of Mineworkers on the employees’ side, while employers are represented by the SA Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors and the small business focused Consolidated Employers’ Organisation.  

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