Members holding the current pattern Industry EBA 2011-2015 will recall our recent alert reminding them that the Agreement does not provide for any wage increase from 1 March 2016 – meaning that employees covered by the Agreement continue to be entitled to receive the existing wage rates that took effect from 1 March 2015.

Master Builders also alerted members to the attendant risks associated with any attempts by the CFMEU to ‘require’ them to pass on any increase on an ‘interim’ basis, advising that not only is there no requirement to do so, but employers entering into such an arrangement with the CFMEU may find themselves in breach of both the current, and proposed, Building Code.

Master Builders notes that FWBC has recently advised contractors of the same concern – specifically stating in a recent E-Alert that: “enacting a ‘good faith’ pay increase that is not part of a registered enterprise agreement is a breach of section 10 of the Building Code 2013”.

Master Builders will continue to keep members advised of developments, and will hold further IR Briefings on the EBA in the coming weeks. In the interim, members seeking further information are encouraged to contact the IR Department on (03) 9411 4560.