A strong, healthy and positive Industrial Relations climate makes an enormous contribution towards a successful project. Where accepted management and supervisory control provide some resource, additional support in the form of a recognised and agreed set of working terms and conditions can be a catalyst.
To this end, UK Employer’s Associations and recognised Trade Unions collectively bargained to create the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction industry – NAECI. A ‘ level playing field ‘ on which employers and employees operate within a framework that enables differing contractors employing people with differing skills and trades to work in harmony towards a common goal.
The Agreement is designed for use in the Energy and Petrochemical industries. It is applicable to large and small projects together with repair and maintenance work and is overseen and updated, to reflect modern environments and economic changes, by its National Joint Council ( NJC ).
The National Joint Council ( NJC ) has produced Guidance Notes to provide further information on the NAECI Agreement. If you require forther support please contact us directly.
The History of NAECI and the Emergence of the ECIA
The NAECI emerged from decades of industrial unrest in UK engineering construction, where fragmented agreements and inconsistent site practices fuelled disputes. Two employer groups, the EEF Sites Group and OCPCA, dominated early arrangements, but their dual structure created instability. NEDO reports in the 1970s called for a single agreement, a unified employers’ body and a joint council. The 1974 MCEA was a step forward, but failed to end the conflict. In 1981, NAECI and the NJC were established, bringing employers and unions under one framework. NECEA and OCPCA later merged in 1994 to form the ECIA, cementing a stable, collaborative national system.
Signatory Parties
The signatory parties to the NAECI are:
For the Employers
For the Trade Unions
