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Introduction

As the UK’s only trade union specialising in construction, UCATT is at the forefront of negotiations concerning your pay, terms and conditions of employment with your employer in all the main agreements covering the construction industry.

The Construction Industry Joint Council agreement sets rates of pay for around 600,000 construction workers on the country’s major building and infrastructure sites. The agreement sets standards for the industry on pay and conditions. UCATT also represents members in a number of other allied trades to the construction industry such as Refractory Users and Steeplejack and Lightning Conductors and the Demolition Industry.
The website will keep you updated with current pay rates and major conditions in agreements which involve UCATT members.

Key Private Sector Issues

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Monday, 03 September 2007

The B&CE Benefit Scheme

The B&CE was set up over 60 years ago. Initially the not-for-profit organisation’s purpose was to provide paid holiday for construction workers who moved frequently between jobs to remain in employment.

The B&CE have now moved on to provide many services. Employers who sign up to the B&CE Template can offer services including a pension, accident and life cover, holiday pay funding and injury insurance. B&CE have become a part of the industries infrastructure covering a big proportion of workers in the industry. (To see a full list of building and construction sectors that are eligible to benefit from B&CE’s services, click here)

In an industry where workers often denied the terms and conditions that others benefit from such as a pension, sick pay or paid holiday, the B&CE Benefit Scheme can offer workers services to ensure their wellbeing in later life or when injured is secure.

Who Runs the B&CE?

The B&CE is run by a Board of Directors who represent different sectors of the industry. The board has equal representation from both the employers and the trade unions. This is an important factor in ensuring the voice of those working in the industry and who should benefit from the scheme is given the same relevance as the contractors and employers. The board has representatives from UCATT (including General Secretary Alan Ritchie) as well as from the T&G section of Unite and the GMB. It also includes members from various construction companies. This is to ensure joint progression and a comprehensive selection of views on workable services and ensuring the very best for construction workers. 

Pension

The B&CE EasyBuild pension offers a simple, flexible but also efficient way for workers in the construction industry to save for their retirement. The pension allows you to pay in a little (from only £1 a week) or a lot depending on how much you can afford. You can also stop payments for a while without suffering a penalty.

If you work for an employer who runs the B&CE Template scheme, your employer may match your contributions up to £10 a week, but they can only do this if your contributions are deducted from your pay by payroll deduction.

With generous tax advantages given to pension savings as well as the fact that the B&CE have no shareholders dipping into the pension fund, the EasyBuild pension is a sensible option the those in our industry who want to ensure a secured future.

To find out more about the EasyBuild Stakeholder Pension click here.

Insurance

Those in the construction industry are only too aware of the consequences of suffering an injury. Being unable to work often means not earning, making injury insurance the sensible option. The B&CE offer injury insurance, covering accidents that happen anywhere in the world, whether working or not.

RapidCash insurance offers four levels of cover, ranging from £3.50 to £7 a week, which offers weekly payouts ranging from £150 to £300 a week.

To find out more about RapidCash insurance click here.

The B&CE Charitable Trust

B&CE also have a Charitable Trust. The trust was set up in 1991 to provide financial assistance to construction workers and their families who are suffering hardship.

The principal aim of the Trust is to ease financial distress usually caused by illness or a change in domestic circumstances. The Trust is concerned with providing financial assistance towards the cost of alleviating a specific need rather than providing general funding.

In the past, the Trust has helped pay household bills and with the cost of internal alterations to a person's home to help with disabilities. The Trust would also consider providing wheel chairs or other equipment for a disabled person. The Trustees have a maximum on the amount of assistance granted in each case.

The B&CE may also help with training or re-training costs for people employed in the construction industry. In the past, the Trust has contributed to the re-training of construction workers who are forced to change their skill as a result of injury or illness.

There are no set "rules" for eligibility except that the claimant must have either worked in the construction industry or been financially dependent on someone who worked in the industry. Before making a claim, the B&CE recommend that you check that you are receiving all statutory assistance that you are entitled to.

Anyone wishing to apply for assistance or have any further questions should call 08457 414142 or write to the B&CE Trust at:

The B&CE Charitable Trust, Manor Royal, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9QP.

The B&CE Template

Template is an employee benefits scheme that can provide an employer and their employees a range of financial and personal benefits. It is easy to administer and is a good way of ensuring that skilled workers want to join an employer, and then want to stay. It can also ensure efficiency of the workforce.

To find out more about the B&CE Template click here.

For more information on any B&CE services please visit their website: http://www.bandce.co.uk/