Newsletter - October 2022
Welcome to New Employers
A very warm welcome to all new employers who have registered since our last newsletter on 16 August 2022. This communication builds on that comprehensive communication, so it is important that you have access to both.
Newsletters are sent out periodically to the industry to share important information relating to the administration of employee benefit funds and other matters of concern to employers. Older newsletters are archived and can be accessed on our website at www.bibc.co.za under the ‘News’ tab.
If you have a change in personnel or would like a refresher on BIBC administrative processes, please email
From BIS to eesi©
As of the start of the new financial/benefit year on 01 November 2022, the BIBC moves from the old Business Information System (BIS) to a new IT system viz: Employer & Employee System Interface (eesi©). Both employers and employees will be able to access their profiles and perform various functions online.
Most current, manual functions will fall away. You will, as a registered employer have access to your own portal in eesi© from which you can submit returns, access historical submissions, view the video library for assistance in the platform, edit employee records and access additional services.
Registered employees can view their current benefits in real time, update their details for edits and access various functions that allow them to apply online for access to funds and services.
Employer Portals open on 20 October 2022
You will receive an email with your eesi© login details on 20 October. Do make sure that we have your correct contact details. Our friendly eesi© Project Team will be on hand to assist you at our dedicated eesi© telephone number 087 549 8655 and email address
Video training material can be accessed in eesi© on successful log-in, and in-person training is available at all our branches by appointment. Employers can access the system using either a smartphone, tablet, or laptop/desktop PC. Resources are also available at each of our branches by appointment.
IMPORTANT: Returns in lieu of the financial year starting 01 November 2022 can only be submitted via the eesi© platform. Emailed submissions will be sent back to you.
Correct returns and payments
The BIBC administers five funds, received as one daily contribution as per the published wage schedule. This means that once we process your returns, the contributions are allocated to these funds viz: Retirement Funds (Pension/Provident, Sick Leave, Holiday, Bonus, and Medical Aid).
We take this and every opportunity to thank employers who take great care with their submissions and reference their full bank deposits correctly. You help us to quickly process and allocate benefits to your employees, reducing unnecessary queries. Employees linked to compliant employers can access Sick pay and Medical Aid benefits and their Retirement Fund benefits are invested on time.
New wage schedules and wage increases
I have been informed that, due to delays in the Minister’s office, the new negotiated Collective Agreement will not be signed off by 01 November 2022. This has unfortunately happened before, and our greatest learnings are to communicate with you quickly and honestly. Accordingly, the implications and options available to you are explained below:
Parties to the Agreement:
Employer organisations and associations who are parties to the current Agreement are MBA Western Cape, MBA Boland and CEO. Employers who are members of these employer bodies are bound by the current Agreement for a further year and until the new Agreement is signed.
Non-parties:
Employers who are not members of the employer bodies, are designated as non-parties. From 01 November 2022, these employers will not be bound by the Agreement, unless the Minister extends the period of the current Agreement. Drawing from our previous experience, these employers were encouraged by poor advice, to immediately reduce the income of their employees and to stop paying their employees the last BIBC rate. You are reminded that, besides the obvious moral imperative to ‘do the right thing’, the unilateral reduction of employee wages and benefits is still an unfair labour practice.
Option available to all employers:
Drawing again from our previous experience, many employers indicated that they had, as they normally do, planned an increase for their employees. We then made it possible for them to purchase benefits at the new, negotiated rates. The same option is available to all employers from 01 November.
Please note that there is only one wage schedule applicable to all areas. The new wage schedule can be found on our website and the negotiated increases are explained below, for your convenience.
These are the new rates, as negotiated in April 2022 by the employer and employee representatives on Council:
Year 1: 01 November 2022 to 31 October 2023
- Contributions increase by 6,75% for Labourer and General Worker categories.
- Contributions increase by 6,5% for all other categories.
Year 2: 01 November 2023 to 31 October 2024
- Contributions increase by the CPI percentage + 1% for all
- Minimum increase of 5% and maximum of 7%.
Year 3: 01 November 2024 to 31 October 2025
- Contributions increase by the CPI percentage + 1% for all
- Minimum increase of 5% and maximum of 7%.
e-Wallets discontinued
Due to FICA-related concerns, the BIBC will no longer issue e-Wallet cards. This includes the replacement of blocked cards.
There are several alternative, non-traditional banking options available to employees. We will communicate this decision directly to employees as well and ask that you share with your employees who are currently using the facility, that the active cards will be discontinued in 2023. Further reminders will be sent to cardholders as to the exact date on which this will happen, to give them ample time to withdraw any funds that may be left in the account.
Amendments to returns
There are unfortunately, employers who regularly submit returns with errors on them. When errors are picked up after returns have already been processed, this creates additional administrative processes at the BIBC involving multiple BIBC departments and has a direct impact on your employees who are then unable to access their benefits. As per the newsletter sent on 16 August; in addition to your employees being disadvantaged, there are cost implications to these adjustments.
Short payments and debt
This is a second reminder to, if you have outstanding employee benefits and related debt, to resolve these by contacting our helpful team by no later than 25 October 2022 at the dedicated email address:
As balances are carried forward from BIS to eesi© on 01 November 2022, outstanding debt will be serviced first if no arrangement has been made, before any new benefits can be processed.
Arbitration: Important dates
Any collective agreement disputes set down for arbitration in December 2022, will only be finalised and outcomes distributed, in January 2023.
Tender Certificate applications
A new email address:
The generic email account
Pearl Pugin - CEO
Building Industry Bargaining Council (Cape of Good Hope)
Sanlam My Retirement App
Download the Sanlam My Retirement App and get all your retirement fund data in the palm of your hand.
Do you have a picture in your mind of what you want your retirement to look like? We are talking about realistic facts and figures.
Sanlam has developed an easy-to-use mobile application that puts all your retirement fund data at your fingertips.
The Sanlam My Retirement App enables members to:
- View information that will assist you to reach good retirement outcomes
- View your current retirement savings and group risk benefits
- View where your money is being invested
- Use the retirement calculator to evaluate and tailor your retirement plan
- Get easy access to important contacts and links
- Access to educational content
Where to find this:
- Logon and register on https://cp.sanlam.co.za
- Then download the Sanlam My Retirement App from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store
Fund Benefit Statements
Your annual benefit statement is a very important part of your journey to a comfortable retirement. It is important that you understand it so that you can use it to help you plan for the future.
The Benefit Statement will provide you with the following
information:
- Personal information - keep your personal information updated
- Funeral benefits - this benefit is payable upon your death
- Benefit overview - summary of the benefits due to you in the event of resignation, retrenchment, retirement, or death
- Your monthly disability income - monthly income you could receive in the event of your disability
- Beneficiary review form - make sure you review this information thoroughly. It is great opportunity to ensure that the correct beneficiary nomination details are correct
Your Building Industry Pension Scheme / Provident Fund benefit statement will be sent this year during the first week of December 2022. This statement will cover the period November 2020 to current.
These employees in the building industry will receive their benefit statement via email or SMS.
The ID number of the employee will be used as the password to gain access to the document.
Danie Hatting - Principal Officer
Building Industry Retirement Funds
