Modern Mining March 2021

Other services She also notes that the BCCEI offers other services such as high quality dispute resolution; the organisa- tion’s level of performance is such that it is recognised and accredited by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to provide this important role. There is also an industry retire- ment benefit fund, medical aid and funeral benefits, although these are not administered by the BCCEI. “If any service provider working on an opencast mine is unsure about whether they need to register with the BCCEI, we have designated agents around the country who are available to consult,” she says. “These experienced designated agents can also advise and assist on the registration process and the various options open to members.” 

players – employers and trade unions. “This is all about creating our own destiny as an industry, together through collaboration,” says Fourie. “While many companies in the sector do not have the time and resources to conduct satisfactory negotiations on wages and benefits with their own employees, the skilled and experienced representa- tives of the parties to the BCCEI have been doing this for years on behalf of the whole sector.” In addition to the multi-year wage negotiations, the BCCEI regularly brings together the parties to the Council, to discuss issues affecting the civil engineering sector. On the employee side, there are the Building Construction and Allied Workers Union (BCAWU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), while representing employers are the Consolidated Employers Organisation (CEO) and the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC). “The parties’ professional and dedicated negotia- tion expertise ensures that working operations for all members can continue smoothly based on the security of having a multi-year wage agreement from the parties,” she says. “This creates the right environ- ment for companies to plan their costs and prices, and to focus on their operations instead of negotiat- ing every year or even more often. With negotiations being taken care of by skilled negotiators and facili- tators, the industry can rest assured that there will not be emotional compromises made to the detri- ment of a fragile industry and economy.”

Work normally associated with the civil engineering industry includes the construction and maintenance of access and haul roads, drilling and blasting, topsoil stripping and the preparation of bench areas in an opencast operation.

Key takeaways  Many opencast mines are increasingly outsourcing mining and infrastruc- ture, and by doing so, they have fallen into the jurisdiction of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI)  There are a number of operational functions conducted on a mine that are actually civil engineering activities  Perhaps the most important of these is the loading, hauling and dumping of mineralised material or waste material, but any excavations and bulk earthworks are also included in the BCCEI’s scope of application  The philosophy behind the establishment of bargaining councils is to ensure a stable, fair and sustainable working environment, which is a good outcome for all stakeholders

March 2021  MODERN MINING  35