Construction firms will be required to pay their workers a higher hourly wage from October, it has been announced.
Following negotiations between the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the Unite trade union, it has been announced that a new rate of pay will be introduced from the autumn.
Under the agreement, workers' hourly wages will go up by two per cent this October, with a further 0.5 per cent hourly increase to follow in October of 2017.
At the same time, BESA declined calls for marked increases in sickness and accident benefits for workers across the sector, with union representatives agreeing a compromise that will see such extras go, pro-rata, up in line with annual salary increases.
Announcing the news, BESA director of employment and skills Peter Rimmer explained that the professional body continues to enjoy "robust but constructive negotiations" with Unite.
"Needless to say, the union argued hard for a considerably higher hourly rate, but accepted that the compromise reached was fair and in the long-term interests of both employers and operatives," he added.
Just last month, BESA launched a new campaign geared towards addressing the gender imbalance in the sector and encouraging more women to pursue careers in engineering.
