M&E employers want talks with Amicus back on track

Mechanical and electrical engineering employers are urgently seeking to get talks on a joint M&E major projects agreement back on line after the withdrawal of the Amicus union from negotiations (CJ 16 October).

Amicus national officer Paul Corby said last week that the union side was withdrawing from talks following a previous CJ report on the negotiations.

George Ashcroft, employer chairman of the MPA negotiating committee, has meanwhile moved to clarify the contractors' position.

Ashcroft said he had called an urgent meeting of his negotiating team on 14 October. He said: "I would like to confirm our agreement with the key issues that have been raised with me by Paul Corby, chairman of the Amicus negotiating team, as follows:

n The major projects agreement does not include NVQ2 occupations in respect of electricians.

n The major projects agreement does not interfere with the integrity and independence of the existing agreements.

n There is absolutely no suggestion of merging the existing agreements. This was a prerequisite of opening up negotiations by both parties."

Ashcroft added: "I trust that as a result of this clarification we will be able to resume negotiations with Amicus to conclude an agreement that is essential to the future prosperity of the M&E industry and its employees."

Both parties appeared to misread CJ's report, which was based on an employers' briefing note. Confusion arose about the current position with regards to a major projects agreement, which was outlined in that briefing at the same time as an unconnected note on a separate long-term employer working party. This is considering the possibility of a "convergence" - not a merger - of the various sectoral agreements.