-6% increase for workers
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) on Monday signed a two-year agreement on wages and conditions of work.
With the signing of the Collective Labour Agreement, BBCI workers represented by the union will be offered a 6% across the board increase for 2012 (retroactive from January 2012) and 6% across-the-board increase for 20 13, effective as of January 1, 2013, according to a joint statement.
It said the agreement was reached after five rounds of negotiations that were initiated in May this year. The statement noted that there is an inflation clause in the Agreement that states that should the inflation rate rise above 5% for the year 2013, the parties will meet again to negotiate an additional increase. Also included in the Agreement is a night shift premium paid to shift workers working the 10pm to 6am shift only, the statement added.
Omadat Samaroo, BBCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), was quoted as saying that although the company is currently not in a strong financial position, primarily due to it commencing commercial operations one year later than expected, leading it to borrow additional funds for completing the ancillary works on the eastern and western sides together with other financial commitments, it still managed to facilitate the wage increases and other fringe benefits.
The statement said the company has also taken out a group Personal Accident and Employer Liability Insurance for all of its employees at a yearly cost of $600,000.
The employees will benefit from Death & Permanent Disable-ment, Bodily Injuries/Medical Expenses and Weekly Indemnity, it said, adding that this cost is fully absorbed by BBCI. Also, the company is to finalize its Pension Scheme in 2013 with a reputable insurance company. It also has an arrangement of giving each employee who owns a vehicle or motor cycle one free pass per month.
Samaroo, according to the statement, emphasised the importance of human resources in the company, while saying that employees are viewed as one of the most important assets, whose value is enhanced by continued training and development. The other assets are maintained to high standards to ensure continuity, reliability, efficiency and last but not least a safety, he added.
