HVCA and Amicus reach agreement on three-year operative pay deal

Employer organisation, the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) and trade union Amicus have reached agreement on a three-year pay deal for operatives.

The new operative national agreement, which takes effect on Monday 6 November 2006, includes increases in hourly rates of: 3.5% from £10 to £10.35 from 6 November 2006; a further 3.5% increase to £10.73 from 3 September 2007; and 4% increase to £11.16 from 6 October 2008.

Corresponding increases have been agreed in overtime premium payments, responsibility and daily travelling allowances and weekly sickness and accident benefits, along with an increase in the level of lodging allowance.

A commitment to further discussion has also been agreed in relation to: tea breaks in the light of current health and safety legislation; and the growing use of agency labour across the sector.

Peter Rimmer, HVCA head of employment affairs, confirmed that the agreement once again provided employers with long-term certainty of labour costs.

"It is important, especially at a time when many building services engineering contractors are finding themselves tendering for major contracts lasting years rather than months, that they are able to calculate their labour costs over a similarly protracted period. This agreement delivers on that requirement."