As part of our commitment to championing the JIB Collective Agreement, Acting CEO Andy Reakes chaired a briefing to discuss ‘Embedding Collective Agreements to Support Delivery of Government Priorities’.
Held on Thursday 9 April 2026, the aims of this roundtable event, were:
• To deepen understanding of collective agreements
• Explore how the JIB model operates in practice; and
• Identify where the model aligns with current and emerging government departmental priorities.
The JIB Collective Agreement ensures fair pay, welfare standards and a verified and competent workforce – all crucial elements in the timely and high-quality delivery of nationally significant projects. HR and Employee Relations Director Catherine Watt and Director of Legal & Policy Rob Driscoll – from the Electrical Contractor’s Association (ECA) – together with Jason Poulter, National Officer at Unite the Union shared their insights into the JIB model and its success as an integrated delivery framework for employment, competence and safety.
We were delighted to welcome representatives from:
- The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- The Department for Business and Trade
- The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; and
- The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
With the Government focused on driving growth through infrastructure, productivity and good work, the informative discussions on the day set a strong foundation for ongoing engagement. We look forward to continuing the conversation, about the role collective agreements can play in delivering improved outcomes for nationally significant projects.
For more information on this work please download Collective Agreements: Turning the Government’s priorities into delivery
