Cabling & Jointing Committee

The Cabling & Jointing Committee was formed in 1989. One of the principle aims of the Committee is to strengthen this sector of the Industry and to try to ensure that only Members of the JIB Cabling Sub-Contractors list are used by JIB Electrical Contractors.

Companies on the Cabling Subcontractors Register are designated in one of four ways - Cabling only, Jointing only, Cabling & Jointing or Major Cabling Contractor. The level at which a company is denoted as being a major cabling contractor is set at a registered labour force of 25 operatives although this in no way prevents any Members of the Register from being approached or tendering for any size contracts available.

The Committee, amongst its duties, acts upon information supplied when complaints are raised that cabling companies being used are not on the JIB Register. It corresponds with the main contractor and attempts to ensure that only Cabling Contractors approved by the JIB are used. To date this has been very successful thanks to the speedy actions of the companies involved.

The committee has also created a new grade, this being the grade of Cable Installation Supervisor.

In 1991, the Committee felt that the Cabling and Jointing Membership Rules were subject to updating. It set about the Rules and the proposals were passed by the JIB National Board. A major change to the Rules was the inclusion of separate Membership Rules for jointers. This was done primarily to attract the one/two man jointing companies.

The Cabling & Jointing Committee has also devised and issued its own separate Register of Cabling & Jointing Contractors Certificate of Membership. This came into effect as of 1 January 1994.

The Cabling & Jointing Committee circulates a News Sheet after each Committee Meeting to give the Members of the Register an overview of discussions and actively encourages the Members of the Register to participate in formulating procedures.

In 2000 it also developed a cable jointing advanced modern apprenticeship training scheme. It has also developed funding for cable jointing training courses which are run through Empower Training Services with part funding provided by JTL. This is only available to companies on the Cabling & Jointing Register.

The Committee is unique within the JIB in that it is the only Committee that is elected by the Members. The other Committees and Boards have members nominated by the Parties through their own procedures. However, this Committee holds an election every two years in which each Member of the Register is entitled to vote. The Committee also holds a Biennial General Meeting at which every Member of the Register is entitled to attend.

At its inception, JIB member-companies on the Register employed around 350 graded operatives. The recession saw this figure drop to about 900. This then peaked at a record 1,500 before levelling out at about 1,100.