Plumbheat Winter 2016

SNIPEF DIARY PLUMBHEAT
25
apprentice training as well as pensions issues
and wage agreements.
EDINBURGH 7 OCTOBER - SNIPEF
COUNCIL MEETING
Representatives from each of the Local
Associations together with the SNIPEF Office
Bearers met to discuss the issues faced by
employers as a result of section 75 of the
Pensions Act 1995 and amendments and also
the implications for the scheme itself.
YORK 11 OCTOBER, PHCA
Plumbing and Heating Contractors’ Alliance
(PHCA) is an over-arching body for plumbing
and heating businesses throughout the UK
comprising an alliance between APHC and
SNIPEF. The Group meets twice a year to
discuss common interests.
EDINBURGH 18 OCTOBER - SPECIALIST
ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS’ (SEC)
GROUP
The SEC Group is a group of 6 Trade
Associations (SNIPEF, SELECT, BESA, BCSA, ECA,
and LEIA) comprising over 60,000 firms and a
workforce of more than 300,000. It accounts
for the largest single component (by value)
of construction output. Being an umbrella
organisation, SEC Group can have greater
power and influence with government and
government bodies than SNIPEF could by
acting alone.
SEC Group is pushing for a provision that
requires cash retentions to be placed in trust
to be included in The Enterprise Bill. The Group
has been instrumental to the introduction
by the Scottish Government that Scottish
Government bodies must include Project Bank
Accounts in tender documents for contracts
commencing procurement procedures from
31 October 2016.
LONDON 20 OCTOBER - SUMMITSKILLS
At this meeting the future strategic direction
of SummitSkills, the standard setting
organisation for the Building Engineering
Services Industry, was discussed. As a result
of continued uncertainty in the sector, the
ongoing viability of SummitSkills in its current
form was in question and the Board agreed
that the company would be wound down
and cease to operate from March 2017. This
is very disappointing and means that SNIPEF
will need to work with the other bodies to
establish how the standards can be retained
within our Industry.
EDINBURGH 21 OCTOBER - BPEC
BPEC present to us the products currently
offered by them and their plans for future
development. We are keen to develop online
training facilities for our members to
save them the time and cost of travelling to
Edinburgh. Working in conjunction with BPEC
on this would be beneficial as they have vast
experience in the training area.
ELGIN 28 OCTOBER - BANFF & MORAY
DINNER DANCE
A very enjoyable evening spent with member
firms in Elgin at the Association’s Annual
Dinner Dance
GLASGOW 3 NOVEMBER - SCOTTISH
GOVERNMENT CONSUMER AND
COMPETITION POLICY UNIT
Meeting with various representatives from
Building Standards and the Consumer and
Competition Policy Unit to promote the
benefits of using SNIPEF members. We also
discussed our concerns on the promotion of
Trusted Trade Schemes by Local Authorities
who do not carry out the level of checks
that SNIPEF members are subject to and
which ensure the qualifications and the
professionalism of its members.
ABERDEEN 11 NOVEMBER - SNIPEF
TECHNICAL DAY
SNIPEF held their first Technical Day in
Aberdeen which was well attended by
member firms and apprentices who were
able to network with various exhibitors and
stakeholders and develop their skills via adhoc
training courses. The day was supported
by the Aberdeen 7 District Association and I
hope will be one of many more to come. We
are already planning and event in Edinburgh,
which we hope will coincide with the SNIPEF
AGM in May.
EDINBURGH 18 NOVEMBER - COUNCIL
MEETING AND SNIPEF GALA DINNER &
AWARDS CEREMONY
The SNIPEF Council met during the day and in
the evening we celebrated the achievements
of our members who had been nominated for
the Business of the Year Award. The standard
of entries was very impressive and the award
this year was won by a member firm from
Northern Ireland, CHC Group Ltd. The SNIPEF
Customer Care Award was awarded to Jon
Marshall of William Wilson and this year’s Merit
Award was given to Rudi Klein, CEO of the SEC
Group for the enormous amount of work he
had done in lobbing for fair payment in the
Industry. We were also joined by Alasdair Scott,
the SNIPEF Apprentice of the Year and by Lord
O’Neill of Clackmannanshire who gave the
Loyal Toast.
NEWCASTLE, CO DOWN 26 NOVEMBER -
NIMPA DINNER DANCE
A great evening hosted by the Northern
Ireland Master Plumbers’ Association. A good
opportunity for me to meet some of our
members and discuss business in Northern
Ireland.
MARTYN RAINE, TECHNICAL OFFICER
Since the last issue of Plumbheat I have
attended a workshop in Glasgow facilitated
by Rehau on district heating, attended by the
Energy Saving Trust and CIBSE.
I attended the highly successful SNIPEF
Technical Day 2016 took place in Aberdeen;
I look forward to more of these, thanks to all
who were there.
I delivered training for the Approved
Certifier of Construction Scheme and I met
up with the following manufacturers: Wilo,
Honeywell, Wavin and Daikin UK.
I took part in a meeting with BPEC to discuss
future plans on training..
SHIRLEY WILLIAMSON,
TECHNICAL OFFICER
In August I met with two Stakeholder
Managers from Gas Safe Register in Edinburgh
and discussed issues which had been brought