In a statement issued to EMC, BAA said: "Following an extensive review and consultation period, BAA has decided to progress to the next stage of discussions around the adoption of the MPA for Terminal 5, subject to the development of a mutually satisfactory Supplementary Project Agreement (SPA) for the programme.
The SPA allows local negotiation within the parameters of the MPA and covers local issues such as clocking on and off, access, car parking and so on. However, the rates of pay set in the MPA, an extra £3 per hour within the M25 and £2.20 per hour nationally, will prevail.
Andrew Wolstenholme, T5 construction director at BAA, said: "We recognised the support for the agreement being given by m&e suppliers as well as Amicus. We have accepted that a project of this scale and complexity could receive major benefits by adopting the MPA.
"While we believe it could provide the right framework for T5, it is still early days. We have agreed to take this to the next stage and I look forward to further discussions with our suppliers on how the detail of the SPA would work at T5."
A decision on whether or not BAA will formally adopt the MPA will depend on the outcome of further discussions currently underway.
The M&E Forum, the body charged with determining which projects might fall under the MPA, held its first meeting in early July, with Sir Michael Latham as its independent chairman. George Ashcroft (ECA chief negotiator) is the employers' co-ordinator and Paul Corby (Amicus national officer) is the trade union co-ordinator. Steve Brawley (ECA employee relations adviser) is secretary.
The Forum will be flagging up projects suitable for MPA adoption so that clients can be brought in to discussions early on.
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
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