What we do

CECA has access to first rate legal advice for members from experienced practitioners around the UK. Where members have issues with contractual matters, or wider challenges relating to construction law, our experts will be able to provide free initial consultations to help resolve any problems.

Our legal support also offers a range of seminars across the country to allow free training for your staff in commercial and contractual issues.

Leading the industry in terms of its efforts to improve the health and safety record for the civil engineering sector, CECA has active involvement in the shaping of the debate principally through its access to the HSE’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) where CECA sits on the overarching ConIAC Acting Together Steering Group.

CECA also provides the role of Chair of the Tackling Ill-Health Working Group. It is also represented on a number of other HSE groups, namely, the Keeping Pace with Change Working Group and also the Sharing our Success Working Group where it has the role of Vice-Chair.

In addition to the above, CECA sits on the Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG), the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG) H&S Working Group and the ICE H&S Expert Panel.

In the area of Occupational Health, CECA published the Health Management Toolkit to help contractors to begin implementation of a management system which would better deal with work related ill health issues. This publication is currently undergoing a review.

CECA advises members on a range of technical matters. It can also provide guidance on environmental matters to members (such as pollution of ground water on site and waste management) and assists and encourages them to develop environmental policies which are realistic and deliverable.

CECA members are provided with CECA’s Corporate Responsibility toolkit free of charge on request, to help firms meet demand from clients that they address the CR agenda.

CECA is also actively involved in a series of national technical and environmental committees, providing members with an opportunity to become involved with influencing future standards and product specifications. CECA actively contributed to the development of Government’s Sustainable Construction Strategy, ensuring that it reflected the needs of the industry. CECA has also responded to industry requirements for construction related guidance on waste management and in 2018 published a refreshed Waste Classification and Permitting in Construction guide.

CECA produces the Schedules of Dayworks carried out incidental to contract work and ensures that these remain relevant and up to date. CECA provides advice for users on the interpretation of Schedules, which are available at reduced rates to members.

If you wish to purchase the CECA Schedules of Dayworks click here. Please note if you are a CECA member you must be logged in to the members’ area to receive your member discount.

CECA ensures our members are informed of relevant changes to employment law and that they are accurately and promptly briefed on policy developments and priorities. Through CECA’s research and lobbying activities, CECA members are provided with advice in advance of policy becoming law, that can contribute to efforts to minimise potential negative impacts on their businesses. CECA also provides advice to members on employment and industrial relations matters, and our devolved national and regional companies provide a range of seminars on employment issues throughout the year in conjunction with a range of specialist LLPs and industry experts.

CECA is a signatory to the Working Rule Agreement, the largest industrial wage agreement in the construction sector, covering more than 500,000 employees. We chair the employers’ representation on the Construction Industry Joint Council, which works with representatives from employees to confirm the wages and conditions for operatives.

We are also able to offer members immediate expert guidance on industrial relations issues.

CECA has access to expert advice on taxation issues that affect the UK construction sector, and circulates a regular tax briefing to members. We are members of the Joint Taxation Committee (JTC) with 10 other major trade federations to jointly lobbying on industry tax issues.

CECA provides regular opportunities for our members to engage with key clients of all sizes from across the civil engineering sector. Our activities provide an opportunity for members to raise key issues with clients, gain a better understanding of their future work programmes, and build a better understanding of each client’s expectations of the contractors that it works with. Such engagement places CECA members in pole position to take advantage of opportunities to deliver the infrastructure we all rely upon.

Recent liaison meetings have enabled CECA members to have face-to-face discussions with chief executives, procurement and commercial directors, as well as range of other representatives from organisations that have included Network Rail, the Highways Agency, the Department for Transport, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Scottish Transport, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Environment Agency, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Thames Tideway, Crossrail, Transport for London, HS2, and wide range of local authorities and utility companies.

CECA publishes a range of key publications and Forms of Subcontract, all available at preferential rates to our members. Our full list of publications for sale can be found here.

CECA members receive a Weekly Update that relates to all aspects of our industry and the work of CECA itself. Members also have access to a range of issue-specific briefings, available in the members’ area. These are produced to alert members to impending changes in law and policy and to enable members to take action to deliver optimum outcomes for their businesses.

CECA also publishes the industry-standard quarterly Workload Trends Survey, which is when we survey our members to allow them to input on the issues that matter to them, which provides a quarterly overview of the health of the sector, which is sent to a range of industry stakeholders including the Bank of England, and which is distributed all members.

CECA has a good relationship with our members’ customers, key Ministers and civil servants, the Construction Industry Training Board, MPs, the Greater London Authority, the new devolved bodies, trade associations operating in our sector, business bodies, think tanks, trade unions, relevant charities and the media. We closely monitor all policy developments and continually work on our members’ behalf to represent their interests to our stakeholders. In order to showcase our work and facilitate networking, we organise a series of key events for our members and wider stakeholders. These include Stop Make a Change, our diversity award ceremony, and our diversity conference.