Brick & Block
New association lays foundations for future A new national trade association for brick and blocklayers is helping scores of small operators to run their businesses more professionally and more profitably.
rainy seasons and work downturns while enabling small businesses to manage work flow trends. It also contains some step-bystep instructions, should employment issues occur,” she says. NZMTA members can now also get good deals on certain important work items. Last year BBFNZ and NZMTA got together with specialists to recommend the best respiratory gear to protect members from silica dust.
The New Zealand Masonry Trade Association (NZMTA) was formed last year from the amalgamation of 14 regional associations who decided pooling their resources and forming one national organisation was the best way to support and improve the operations of the many businesses in the brick and blocklaying trades.
BBFNZ is introducing a Master Masonry Scheme which is a mark of quality that a masonry business possesses a high level of competency. A business will be assessed on its technical skills, paper work and documentation systems to receive the quality mark.
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“It tells members of the public and other contractors who the skilled and competent businesses in the industry are and who is operating professionally,” Melanie says.
As an industry, we recognised that we needed to start helping our brick and blocklayers form professional, compliant, profitable businesses that train apprentices and deliver quality building systems. - BBFANZ CEO, Melanie McIvor.
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To raise the skills and standards, NZMTA has introduced training courses and templated documents such as terms of trade, contracts for homeowners, quality control checklists and employment resources to help business owners get to grips with their responsibilities in running a business. Its members are craftsmen and masonry businesses right around the country who want to improve their skills and knowledge and lift their game, for the good of their own business and for the reputation of the industry as a whole. NZMTA is a member of the industry grouping, the Brick and Blocklayers Federation (BBFNZ), which has driven and supported the formation of NZMTA and worked with it to bring these training courses, legal and regulatory information and advice and business training to members.
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She encourages brick and blocklayers to visit the BBFNZ website and check out the best practice guidelines.
BBFNZ chief executive Melanie McIver says, “As an industry, we recognised that we needed to start helping our brick and blocklayers form professional, compliant, profitable businesses that train apprentices and deliver quality building systems.”
“To do this, we need to lift the employment skills of our businesses. The employment agreement is written specifically with our smaller businesses in mind. “It contains clauses to enable flexibility of managing workers, especially through
NZMTA in conjunction with BBFNZ offers six seminars a year which can be attended in person by members or viewed online. The seminar topics include; understanding regulations applying to their businesses and how to comply with them, the responsibilities of contract law and their obligations to various parties they contract with, how to handle difficult customers, how to manage staff, and what are the training needs of staff? NZMTA also provides document templates central to running a masonry business, such as a permanent employee employment agreement. “We would like to encourage, as an industry, a fair working environment that will attract young people to help us continue the trade,” Melanie says.
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“We are finding a few issues around workmanship coming up. The best practice guidelines will help brick and Brick and blocklayers Blocklayers Federation refresh their of New Zealand knowledge PO Boz 50-137 and find out Porirua 5230 if they are info@bbfnz.co.nz still meeting their responsibilities.”
www.buildersandcontractors.co.nz