Posted on: 23 January 2023

NECC JOINT UNION STATEMENT

Dear Members,

I have been in multiple discussions with the ECIA negotiating committee over the current cost of living crisis and the situation our members face having been awarded a 2.5% pay award for 2023.

I currently have an offer on the table that can be read in full here:

https://www.njceci.org.uk/cost-of-living-creative-solutions-meeting-employers-further-offer/

The headlines are:

• £1.00 per hour on all hours worked for the first half of the year
• £0.75 per hour on all hours worked for the second half

It is proposed by the employers that this will be accrued and paid on a quarterly basis on the provision that there isn’t any industrial action on that site during the accrual period (industrial action taken in relation to the 2024 pay award will sit outside of this provision).

The Senior Shop Stewards Forum are meeting next week to discuss the above offer and decide on next steps, I will update you again after that.

NAECI 2024 Pay Claim

I have also submitted the pay claim for 2024, this can be read in full here:

https://www.njceci.org.uk/necc-naeci-pay-conditions-claim-2024/

Once discussions around the Cost-of-Living Payment have concluded I will move on to negotiate the pay for next year.

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs

National Officer

GMB and NECC Chairwoman

Posted on: 1 June 2022

Dear GMB Member,

As you might be aware at the end of May GMB Scotland announced that Bilfinger have agreed to pay £2.37 per hour 2nd Tier payment to all grade 4, 5 and 6 employees and Pro Rata for grades 1, 2 and 3 on the GSK Montrose site for a six-month period.

This payment is being made in recognition that there is a skill shortage in the industry. In this instance it was electricians, in other areas it will be other trades.

As you are aware food and fuel prices are at the highest levels, as is inflation, in over thirty years and National Insurance also rose last month. These expenditures are putting further pressure on your take home pay.

I would suggest that you discuss with your on-site union reps what GMB have won at Montrose, this was achieved by our representative being proactive and holding their employer to account. Where there are no reps on site, elect representatives and submit formal grievances to your employer on your 2nd Tier local payments, requesting that they renegotiate in accordance with what has been won up in Scotland.

If you require any further information, please contact your union rep or your regional officer.

Yours in solidarity

Charlotte Childs

National Officer

Posted on: 2 February 2021

Dear GMB Member,

As you are aware late last year we conducted a consultative ballot on the Employers position of no wage increase for 2021. This ballot delivered a 4 to 1 rejection of the employer’s position. We requested another meeting with your employers, but this was declined with the request that we meet in April to submit a claim for 2022 and beyond.

The NECC finds the position of employers unacceptable.

Our members have worked hard during this pandemic in the national interest contributing to the UK Energy agenda supporting the national demand for PPE and Hand Sanitizer to the UK population desperate for protection from the Covid-19 virus.

After consulting with your reps, the NECC has decided to conduct an indicative ballot of all members of GMB and our joint union who work under the NAECI agreement. This ballot will start on 8th February with a view to complete the survey by the 1st March.

We are asking our members to take part in the indicative ballot and to also complete a form to update you contact details, job title and Project you work on. This is vital to ensure any move to a legal ballot is possible.

Please support your Union in completing the ballot form and returning to your rep as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued support and membership of the GMB and our joint union.

Yours in solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

National Officer GMB and NECC Chairwoman

Posted on: 10 August 2021

Dear GMB Member,

Following extensive negotiations the NAECI shop stewards forum discussed the offer outlined below.

The offer is in line with other Construction Agreements

CIJC 2.5% 2022

Electrical JIB 2.5% 2022, 2.5% 2023

Plumbing JIB, 2% 2022, 3% 2023

The only stable work under the Agreement currently is in the repair and maintenance sector. The next major project is not due to start until 2023.

For the reasons outlined above the NAECI National Shop Stewards Forum recommend acceptance of the offer outlined below:

A two-year Agreement

1. 2022 – a 2.5% increase in NAECI hourly rates of pay from 10 January 2022.
2. 2022 – a 2.5% increase in radius and accommodation allowances from 10 January 2022 (subject to HMRC approval).
3. 2023 – a 2.5% in NAECI rates of pay, from 9 January 2023.
4. 2023 – a 2.5% increase in radius and accommodation allowances from 9 January 2023 (subject to HMRC approval).

This offer is the Employer’s full and final response to the NECC Wages and Condition Claim for 2022 and beyond. The above Wages and Conditions Offer is subject to the following conditions.

This Wages and Conditions Offer shall be treated as a single, indivisible package, to be accepted or rejected in its entirety, without qualification or amendment.

The ballot will run until Friday 27 August.

Yours in solidarity,

Charlotte Childs, National Officer, GMB and NECC Chairwoman

Chris Weldon, Acting NECC Secretary

Posted on: 9 July 2021

Dear GMB Member,

On behalf of the NECC we are writing to update you on the NAECI 2022 pay talks.

Firstly we would like to thank our reps and members for their continued support.

Following a full ballot of our NAECI membership we are pleased to inform you that, by an overwhelming majority, the pay offer has been accepted.

The results are as follow:

73% Accept

27% Reject

The offer was as follows and will be implemented in January 2022:

A two-year Agreement

1. 2022 – a 2.5% increase in NAECI hourly rates of pay from 3rd January 2022
2. 2022 – a 2.5% increase in radius and accommodation allowances from 2nd January 2022 (subject to HMRC approval)
3. 2023 – a 2.5% in NAECI rates of pay, from 9 January 202
4. 2023 – a 2.5% increase in radius and accommodation allowances from 9 January 2023 (subject to HMRC approval).

Yours in solidarity,

Charlotte Childs, National Officer, GMB & NECC Chairwoman

Chris Weldon, NECC Secretary

Posted on: 26 June 2020

Dear GMB Member,

Welcome to the first NECC members briefing following the NECC Meeting held on Monday 8th June 2020. The NECC considers it important that we communicate with members regularly throughout this most difficult period in our history. For your information we are now in contact with your site union reps and have regular workplace updates on a fortnightly basis. This is proving to be very constructive in establishing a true picture of what is happening nationally.

You will be aware that much of our discussions as you would expect have been around furlough and health and safety implications over Covid-19.

It is very clear that the industry and you our members are facing job losses at a rate never seen before. The NECC wish to assure you that everything that can be done is being done to minimise the inevitable job losses which will follow when the furlough payments are reduced or stopped.

The NECC Secretary and Chairman are also working together to resolve some long-standing issues, not least, with Bilfinger who are currently being taken through the procedure to a stage 4 over a breach of the national agreement over holidays.

We would also wish to assure you that the pay and conditions negotiations currently paused will continue and it is anticipated that meaningful discussions will resume at the end of July 2020.

The NAECI National Shop Stewards Forum will take place on the 6th July via telephone conference.

ACE card renewals: The NECC is working with the ECITB and the National Shop Stewards Forum to set up a working group to progress.

On a positive note the North London Waste Authority project has agreed to use NAECI with an anticipated workforce of 500 plus people. The NECC would like to thank Bro. Steve Butterworth who has been instrumental in securing the National Agreement on the project.

Other items discussed were Bedford Power Station, Slough EfW, Humber Bank, and the use of non-UK labour at Rookery Pit, Bedfordshire and the use of non-UK electricians at MGT Tecnicas Reunidas (TR) as there are serious questions over their skills and competence levels. This will need to be challenged using NAECI to establish adherence to the agreement.

The NECC wish to place on record their sincere thanks to Bro. Steve Kemp the outgoing Chairman of the NECC and for his contributions to the committee and our Shop Stewards Forums for the duration of his tenure.

Thank you for taking the time to read what is the first NECC members briefing and there will be regular communications with you going forward.

Finally, if you are aware of any of your colleagues who are not Union members, we would ask you to encourage them to join.

Yours in solidarity