Construction World May 2018

Medical aid fund for the construction industry

With the dissolution of the Gauteng Building Bargaining Council in 2002, there was an agreement that the Fund should continue serving the interests of its members. As the Fund was no longer subject to the Depart- ment of Labour legislation, it was compelled to register in terms of the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 and was subsequently registered as a restricted medical aid fund, known as The Building and Construction Industry Medical Aid Fund (BCIMA). The Fund considers itself as the pre- ferred fund of choice for the building and construction industry in its current area of jurisdiction, as it is specifically designed for the industry. To expand the membership and improve the risk pool, the objectives were amended to incorporate employees of the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC), who established the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI), in terms of Section 31 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995. According to their Collective Agreement, BCIMA is the preferred Medical Aid Fund for all ‘Hourly Paid Employee Members’ – mainly the site employee but not to the exclusion of office staff and management within the industry. The Fund’s historic relationship with The Building Industry Medical Aid Fund (BCIMA) was established in 1964 under the Department of Labour legislation as part of the Gauteng Building Bargaining Council.

the building and construction industry is a definite advantage. It has an in-depth under- standing of the needs of employers and their employees and is able to design appropriate contributions and benefits accordingly. The Fund is considered a low-cost fund and as such enjoys certain exemptions in terms of the provisions of the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) and Section (1)(n) of the Act, which have proved to be highly beneficial to its members. BCIMA has an in-depth understanding of the needs of employers and their employees and is able to design appropriate contribu- tions and benefits for their medical scheme members. It offers the construction industry a medical scheme that is tailored for the industry, simple in its application and most flexible for member-use all around the coun- try and not just in densely populated areas of the country. In terms of the collective agreement of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineer- ing Industry (BCCEI), BCIMA is the fund of

Benefits and features • Only the Main Member pays, the rest of his/her Registered Dependents are covered for free. • Full access to Private Healthcare, as well as access to Specialist Services. • No Provider Network Restrictions. • Contributions can be paid weekly or monthly. • Members can join for a specific period when working on a contract (LDCs). • Unlimited HIV Benefit when choice for the industry. The minister of labour has also gazetted the fund to be the scheme of choice for all related industries who are not part of the bargaining council. 

registered on the Disease Management Programme.

• Contributions are based on an hourly wage, starting from as low as R164,80 per week.

The value of on-site security management In the security industry, discipline and integrity are critical factors. A United States security expert, Charles Willis, re- cently confirmed that; “the supervision of security guards is the most important and most difficult challenge of a security company.” Guarding is a career that requires a large set of skills – and while guards may be proficient in one area, this does not mean that they are able to deliver on the full skillset required. For this reason, supervision, hands-on management and a level of mentorship is required.

Jacki Condon, Managing Director of Apache Secu- rity Services, believes that on-site management plays an integral role in securing customers’ sites. “The field supervisor should consistently communicate

with the guard on each visit and offer coaching. While this informal train- ing takes place, the guards are also aware that they are being monitored for performance.”

Apache Security Services was established with a vision to change the private security landscape; a vision that we are proudly achieving daily. As a trusted and highly qualified security provider, we offer an array of security services that consistently set the benchmark for others to follow. Part of this service is keeping you informed, through monthly news and industry updates. Apache Security Services was built on the solid belief that the protection of lives, property, assets and reputations can only be achieved by people who are fanatically driven and obsessed with being the best in their chosen profession; this is the philosophy our management team lives by.

To secure a site, it must be controlled. To control a site, expert attention must be paid. “Deploying on-site security managers to clients’ sites for six and 12-month contracts makes a lasting, positive impact on their overall security portfolio. Being full-time on-site pro- vides managers with the time and access to maintain service levels, drive superior service, adjust approaches and implement new strategies.” International Facilities Management specialists, Tenon, confirms that; “The old saying, ‘anything unchecked is undone’, underlines the

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD MAY 2018