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| Construction Industry News and Views Edition 168 01 April 2019 |
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Dear Members and Readers
During the past month the Construction industry has dominated the media, signalling that the industry is in distress, amidst forecasts of a bleak economic outlook, impact of load-shedding, business closures, site stoppages, delayed and non-payment, etc. The possible ramifications may be a massive increase in unemployment rates, negative impact on allied sectors such as manufacturing and retail, lower investor confidence – all of which will impact heavily on an already struggling economy.
The Association is very concerned with the state of the industry and has resolved that serious high-level intervention is critical to mitigate the current circumstances. As such, proposals were tabled at Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) which included inter alia, a letter to the Minister of Finance regarding delayed and non-payment, a letter to the Honourable President of South Africa for engagement on the state of the industry, the commissioning of a research paper, call for joint action from key industry stakeholders and consultation with social partners.
The MBSA Federation has issued a press release calling for urgent government intervention to save the construction industry. This message was consistently articulated in a series of interviews on different media platforms over the past month. In addition, it is important to note that correspondence was addressed to the Honourable President regarding concerns around the state of the industry. Prior hereto, in early March this year, a letter was addressed to the Minister of Finance on the issue of delayed and non-payment to contractors.
The Association is vigorously pursuing collaborative strategies that will lead to a more sustainable construction industry and an improved economy.
In the interim, the Association is trying to unlock further initiatives to assist our Members. We are pleased to inform our Members that an Ithala Development Finance Corporation Information Desk will be set up at our Westville offices. The Association will serve as a drop-off point for finance applications and will provide assistance with the application process, thereby facilitating ease of access to finance for our members. A meeting was also held with a representative from the US Consulate General’s office to explore opportunities and partnerships between US based companies and South African construction firms.
The Association was privileged to host a lunch engagement with our Past Presidents who are the pillars of the rich and illustrious history of the Association. Their commitment and dedication to the Association and the industry over the years is deeply inspiring and we look forward to their guidance and support as we move the industry forward. We salute you!
Our quest to provide Members with an expeditious and simple dispute resolution mechanism saw the launch of a Dispute Resolution unit. The service aims to drastically reduce costs and time incurred by members in their endeavours to resolve disputes in a fair and impartial manner. Members are encouraged to take cognisance of this service which will be beneficial to your business.
In this edition, in our regular feature ‘Membership News’ we welcome new members to the Association and provide feedback on membership activity across the province. The Association is proud to be associated with our members and will honour all long-standing members in terms of our Member Loyalty Awards programme. Be on the lookout for further information.
The benefits of the utilisation of Master Builders members cannot be over-emphasised. Members are listed in our widely distributed Membership directory and the Find – Builder / Find – a Supplier online listing. Members can rely on the wide range of advice and support services offered by the Association. Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal is the construction industry’s trusted, respected and admired stamp of assurance.
Is Your Builder a Master Builder?
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| Vikashnee Harbhajan | Executive Director |
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In the Durban Area, the Association held a workshop titled “Cannabis Management in the Construction Industry”. Dr Tim Laurens, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria was among several subject matter experts, who shared their perspective on the topic with us.
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Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal DISPUTE RESOLUTION UNIT
The Association has established a Dispute Resolution Unit. The reason for this is due to the following factors: Instances of disputes are rising at an alarming rate due to the current economy.
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Department of Labour Construction Indaba
The Department of Labour Construction Indaba was held on 14 March 2019 at the Coastlands Hotel in Umhlanga. The Department’s inspectors, particularly those involved in Occupational Health and Safety, were brought together with role players in the construction industry to discuss construction regulations and OHS compliance, in the wake of the recent structural collapses in South Africa.
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What disability?
The Association held an evacuation drill on 19 March 2019. On the day, there were three people with disabilities in our Training Academy.
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DATA Costs to Reduce – Some Relief for Consumers
In the digital world we live in, for a nation to develop and prosper it becomes vital for the population to have access to information. Skills development, job applications and research can be done more feasibly online. The high cost of data in South Africa makes information inaccessible to millions and results in lost opportunity for many.
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MANAGING CONSTRUCTION HEALTH RISKS - PART 2
There have been big improvements over recent years in reducing the number and rate of injuries to construction workers. However, a number of serious ill-health issues continue to affect construction workers. These can be devastating for individuals and families. This site tells you about these risks and how to manage them.
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REMINDER: 2019 EXCELLENCE IN CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION ENTRIES STILL OPEN
The Excellence in Construction Competition is aimed at recognising and acknowledging excellence in the KZN building and construction industry and celebrates members who uphold the highest possible standards in construction.
....Read more
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CLOSING COMMENTS
Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest Association news!
Ernest Roper | Membership Services Manager
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| In This Issue |
| Membership News |
| Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Dispute Resolution Unit |
| Department of Labour Construction Indaba |
| What disability? |
| DATA Costs to Reduce – Some Relief for Consumers |
| Managing Construction Health Risks - Part 2 |
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Reminder: 2019 Excellence in Construction Competition Entries still open
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MASTER BUILDERS KWAZULU-NATAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
The Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Conference Centre offers a variety of function and meeting facilities.
Click here for more information
or contact us on 031 831 3207
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mASTER BUILDERS KWAZULU-NATAL PRINT STUDIO
Contact the Print Studio on
031 831 3421
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The latest CPAP indices have been released by Statistics South Africa. This is for February 2019. Please note all previous months are available on the Stats SA website.
Download Here
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MASTER BUILDERS kWAZULU-NATAL TRAINING ACADEMY
Book now by contacting us on
031 831 3201
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MASTER BUILDERS KWAZULU-NATAL Occupational Health Clinic
For medical surveillance, health risk assessments and consulting, audio, lung and Vision screening, HIV voluntary counselling, testing and drug screening, health education and first aid training, get down to Master Builders Occupational Health Clinic at 40 Essex Terrace, Westville.
For more information, call:
031 831 3209
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