Construction World June 2021

MARKETPLACE

R1,35-BILLION CONTRIBUTED TO VACCINE COSTS

Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act who qualify for the COVID-19 vaccination. Ndivhuwo Manyonga, FEM CEO (pictured) , said: “Over the past year, we have been confronted with the dire consequences of a global pandemic impacting the world. From loss of income to temporary or permanent disablement caused by COVID-19, we have witnessed the suffering of many workers.” “Thus, as a collective, we have taken up the responsibility to cover the cost of medical treatment and the replacement of lost income, in the event that workers become temporary or permanently disabled or unfortunately die due to COVID-19 acquired in the workplace.” “Through this, we want to demonstrate that we are fully behind our nation during this global crisis. To date we have accepted 12 523 related claims across all three organisations and we continue to compensate workers that suffer disablement and or loss of income due to this pandemic,” added Manyonga. “Through this collective contribution, we hope to assist at least 3-million of the estimated 10-million uninsured workers and contribute to help protect South Africans against the virus and curb the pandemic,”

she explained. “We sincerely believe that if we all work together, we can overcome COVID-19. Let us continue to be vigilant with the sanitisation, hygienic, and protective protocols at workplaces in the public and in our homes. We also take this opportunity to extend the appeal for all businesses to continue to contribute towards the roll-out of vaccines in South Africa and play their part in getting the country and the economy back on track,” added Manyonga. In addition, the organisations have also taken up responsibility for the cost of medical treatment and the replacement of lost income as a result of temporary or permanent disablement caused by COVID-19 acquired in the workplace in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act. FEM is one of only two private sector companies that have been issued a license to provide workmen’s compensation services under this Act. FEM focuses on employers in the building and construction industry. The insurance covers a wide range of types of construction work, from demolition to painting and plastering; tombstone erection to the construction of swimming pools; and electrical contracting to gas fitting and plumbing, amongst numerous other construction sub-categories. ▄ allowances which employees are entitled to, which are part of the conditions of employment applicable to the whole civil engineering sector. In many instances, employers and employees are not aware of these, she notes. She highlights that being registered with the BCCEI facilitates the situation where employers and employees can be assisted in understanding what conditions are applicable to them. An example would be where the BCCEI requires businesses to belong to the Construction Industry Retirement Benefit Fund (CIRBF). Many smaller companies do not make any retirement provisions for their staff, but the BCCEI ensures that they attend to this vital aspect of employee well-being. “Companies must also have a minimum funeral benefit in place for their employees,” she says. “Where business owners don’t have such schemes, there is an industry retirement benefit fund, medical aid and funeral benefits, although these are not administered by the BCCEI.” ▄

T he Compensation Fund, Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA), and The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (RF) Proprietary Limited (FEM) have together contributed R1,35-billion towards funding the vaccination costs for workers who do not have medical aid, heeding the President’s call for organisations to help finance and facilitate the roll-out of vaccines in South Africa and beyond. The three entities will also contribute towards the cost of vaccines for those receiving a pension in terms of the R egistration with a bargaining council is indeed compulsory; but when a company registers, it benefits everyone. This is according to Lindie Fourie (pictured) , operations manager at the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI), who emphasises that both the employers and employees are definitely better off when the company registers. “Being part of the BCCEI makes a company an active participant in a more stable and sustainable sector,” says Fourie. “This is mainly because the BCCEI facilitates collective bargaining on wages and general terms of employment, helping employers and labour to arrive at a fair outcome for all.” The result of collective bargaining, she argues, is invariably of benefit to both employers, many of whom do not have the resources to deal with long-term negotiations, and employees, who may not be sufficiently organised at plant or company level to present their demands. A fairer outcome for all also ensures that the general working

Better conditions for civils employees under Bargaining Council

environment is less disrupted, and the necessary energy and resources can be applied where required. There are also certain minimum

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2021