Bid to repair unions split

Leaders of the three main building and civil engineering unions are to meet early in the New Year in a fresh attempt to resolve the bitter internal dispute over who holds the balance of power on the operatives' side of the Construction Industry Joint Council.

The move comes amid concern that the long-running row is preventing the council from getting to grips with many urgent industrial relations issues.

These include settling the future of the B&CE benefits company in the light of the Working Time Regulations and their impact on holiday pay and the need for the company to develop a fully flexible system which meets the new statutory requirements on holiday pay.

In addition, the B&CE company is the focus for the projected introduction of a fully-fledged industry-based pension scheme.

In the shorter term, the joint council is already committed to updating the building and civil engineering sick pay arrangements. Revised rates of pay for apprentices are also on the agenda. And the unions are keen to review the disputes conciliation machinery. Progress on all these matters has been baulked by the unions' failure to agree on the constitution of the national negotiating machinery.

The new union talks also coincide with internal restructuring initiatives at both the GMB and the TGWU. These have rekindled speculation regarding a merger.

The source of the dispute at the construction joint council is Ucatt's insistence that it should retain an overall majority of the operative side seats. The GMB and the TGWU are equally adamant that no union should hold an overall majority.