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PROFILE : My journey to Professional Registration - Innocent Gininda

Innocent Gininda shares his journey to becoming a registered Professional Engineer (PrEng), emphasizing the importance of mentorship, early preparation, and understanding ECSA requirements. He offers advice to aspiring PrEngs, highlighting the value of diverse feedback and a positive mindset. My journey to becoming a registered Professional Engineer (PrEng) culminated successfully in November 2024. I was fortunate to begin my career at a company with a Commitment and Undertaking (C&U) Agreement with ECSA and a robust mentorship program. This commitment to training engineers to the standard required for Professional Registration provided me with essential resources and a structured path to track my experience against ECSA requirements. Early exposure to these expectations instilled a positive outlook on registration and solidified my desire to achieve this milestone. My views on Professional Registration have remained consistently positive throughout this journey. Working alongside ...

REVIEW : ‘Decent work’ could create a thriving construction industry in South Africa

Decent work encompasses more than just income; it is a path toward personal dignity, societal stability and job creation. However, its realization hinges on meaningful benefits for employees. Such an approach benefits both employers and employees by reducing labor turnover and transitioning labor from informal to formal employment. This, in turn, could enhance productivity and foster a safer construction industry.

According to Luyanda Mgqamqo, the labor spokesperson, and Danie Hattingh, the business spokesperson at the Western Cape-based Building Industry Bargaining Council, upskilling the construction sector's workforce is crucial for decent work opportunities. The decline in skilled personnel, particularly artisans, poses a risk to the industry and must be systematically addressed to attract and retain skilled employees.

To ensure meaningful benefits for construction sector employees, four pillars have been suggested:

  1. "Productive Employment and Sustainable Enterprise": This pillar emphasizes a core workforce with the necessary skills to contribute effectively to various building activities. Newcomers to the industry will also have learning opportunities.
  2. "Standards and Basic Rights at Work": This pillar focuses on collective bargaining, providing a platform for labour players to negotiate and improve minimum wages at the industry level. This standardization of labour costs prevents workplace-specific negotiations, which often lead to strikes and work stoppages.
  3. "Social Security and/or Social Protection for All": This pillar involves negotiating at the industry level for improved wages and employee benefits for all, including those at the lowest level. Ensuring that even labourers picked up at the roadside receive fair wages and benefits protects them from exploitation.
  4. "Promotion of Social Dialogue, Including Collective Bargaining": This pillar highlights the role of bargaining councils in preventing and resolving disputes, promoting harmonious labour relations within the building sector.
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