May 8th, 2017, Published in Articles: Vector

 

Our first ever webinar training session took place on 25 April 2017. The topic was “Pitfalls of tendering” and the session was presented by Herman Kriel, MD of Brand SA and the chairman of the ECA(SA) National Contractual Committee.

The webinar was the culmination of many hours of discussions and preparation, and was presented free of charge.

The objective of these seminars is to share knowledge about contractual matters with electrical contractors in South Africa, to create a greater awareness of the rights and duties of a sub-contractor, as a very important part of the project team.

Two further webinars in this series are planned and will focus on the pitfalls of project administration and the pitfalls of project management respectively.

Watch out for the invitation from your local regional director for the next webinar and enjoy the benefits of this new service, offered to you by the ECA from your home or office.

JBCC re-structure

The JBCC board of management commissioned IQ Capital to facilitate a two-day workshop in Johannesburg on 24 and 25 April 2017, to focus on the role and significance of the JBCC in a competitive market where the following contract documents are marketed and sold by its competitors: NEC; FIDIC; JCT and GCC.

All the major constituent bodies, including the ECA, were represented at the workshop during which the following issues were considered:

• How and why other contracts are used in the market place relative to JBCC.
• Are these contracts increasingly being used rather than JBCC?
• Who are the main users of which documents?
• Which standard clauses in contract documents are most commonly altered, and why?
• Which clauses are most often the subject of disputes, and why?
• Define the JBCC target market and agree on measures to make its suite of contract documents more applicable to a wider audience.
• Should JBCC continue operating as a NPC (non-profitmaking company) with a paid Advisory/Technical Board?

The outcome of these deliberations, together with the proposals formulated during the workshop, will be captured in a report to be circulated to all constituent members of the JBCC.

 Marketing and publicity

 The East/South Cape region launched a marketing/publicity campaign via live radio interviews in April 2017, on the following radio stations:

• Wild Coast FM 98,6.
• Eden FM (Coast: 93.8 FM; Klein Karoo: 106.3 FM; Hessequa: 87.8 FM; Kannaland: 97.9 FM; Knysna and Plettenberg Bay: 99.7 FM, and Uniondale: 98.1 FM).
• Luister FM: 90.6 FM.

The three-month campaign runs until 30 June and is aimed primarily at informing users of electricity of their rights and obligations when it comes to the safe use of electricity.

The campaign also aims to entrench the ECA member as “your trusted electrical contractor”, to be used for all electrical installations, maintenance and repair work.

Members of the local Regional Executive Committee, together with the regional director, are being interviewed and members have expressed appreciation to the ECA for its efforts to market member companies to the general public.

Wiring codes

 Hard copies of the following SABS standards can now be ordered from this office:

• SANS 10142-1 Low-voltage installations.
• SANS 10142-2 MV installations

Prices are available on request from this office.

We have prepared the MV Installation Safety Report in a format similar to the current LV Test Report and will hopefully be able to offer this document for sale to members in book form soon.

 NBCEI Main Collective Agreement

 Special meetings have been held in Port Elizabeth, George, East London and Mtatha to inform employers of:

• Important new definitions and changes to clauses in the Agreement.
• The new wage rates effective as of 1 May 2017.
• New rates payable for transport, subsistence and stand-by allowances, and the new structure of National Sick Benefit Fund.

Calculation of hourly charge-out rate

 The ECA(SA)’s popular calculation sheet used to determine the actual labour cost per hour for an installation electrician, Elconop 2 and electrical assistant has been updated in accordance with the wage increase, effective as of 1 May 2017.

Make sure that you get the copy applicable to your wage area, and update your hourly labour charge -out rate.

Lucas Bowles, ECA regional director, East/South Cape

 

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