Thursday, May 5, 2011

ATGWTU settles for 5% in 2 agreements

From : http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/ATGWTU_settles_for_5__in_2_agreements-121363669.html

By Camille Bethel camille.bethel@trinidadexpress.com

The All Trinidad General Workers' Trade Union (ATGWTU), like the Public Services Association (PSA), has acceded to a five per cent wage increase from the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).

On Tuesday the union signed off on two separate collective agreements for terms and conditions for monthly and daily rated employees with the CPO Stephanie Lewis.

A release from the office of the CPO states: "The agreements make provision for a five per cent increase in salaries and wages, after the consolidation of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) payable to employees at December 3, 2007, that is $125 per month in the case of the monthly paid employees and $4 per day in the case of the daily rated employees."

The release also states that employees who worked over the entire period of the agreement, January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010, will also received a lump sum payment of $3,000.

Acting union president John Jaglal said yesterday he was "happy and satisfied that both staff and daily paid workers gave us a mandate to sign and come to an agreement with management and we have fulfilled this mandate and we now go forward for the new agreement for the next three years".

He said some 70 workers will benefit from the settlement.

Minister in the Ministry of Labour and former leader of the union, Rudranath Indarsingh, on Wednesday commented on the settlement made with the employees at the Sugar Cane Feed Centre, in Longdenville.

"Having started the negotiations, so I am very happy that the union, having dialogue with the management and the CPO, could come to an agreement in the interest of the whole collective bargaining process," he said.