The Heating & Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) has announced its winter holiday rates for operatives in the UK.

The Heating


The holiday period for England and Wales will run from 27 December, 2010 to 7 January, 2011. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, the winter holiday period will run from 23 December, 2010 to 5 January, 2011.


As Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December will be substituted for 25 and 26 December and treated as holidays. This is also the case for New Year's Day – which falls on a Saturday – so that Monday 3 January, 2011, will also be treated as a holiday.


The association said: "Employees required to work on any day during the winter holiday period other than weekends are entitled to a paid day off in lieu, in addition to payment for the hours they work."


HVCA has also addressed the effects of the recent adverse weather conditions in relation to the H&V operative national agreement clause 5 – guaranteed pay.


It said that employees who use the agreement as the basis of the contract of employment for hourly-paid staff must be aware of procedures when an employer is unable to provide work.


"In the event of dislocation of production as a result of adverse weather conditions which necessitates a stoppage of work on a site, the guaranteed week provisions are applicable, so long as the operative is capable of, available for and willing to perform normal work. In these circumstances, the employer should pay the normal rate for such hours as the employer is unable to provide work."


Visit HVCA's website, www.hvca.org.uk, for more information.