A new four-year Collective Labour Agreement (CLA)was signed Wednesday by the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) and the Management of Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc at Watooka House in Linden.

General Secretary of NAACIE Kenneth Joseph said that despite the late signing of the agreement all wages and monetary benefits should be retroactive to April 1, 2007 and by April 1, 2008, the union envisages the start of a new agreement.

He said members were satisfied and comfortable with the working relationship at Bosai Minerals, especially with the non-monetary clauses agreed to in the CLA.

The agreement was reviewed by Chief Labour and Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Mohamed Akeel of the Ministry of Labour, General Manager Steven Ma of Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Incorporated, Personnel and Industrial Relations Superintendent of Bosai Minerals Peter Benny and Joseph.

Akeel expressed satisfaction with the terms of the deal and commended the management of Bosai Minerals and the union for reaching agreement in a relatively short time compared with other major industries in Guyana.

The parties started negotiations for a CLA in June, but following some disagreements the matter went to conciliation at the Ministry of Labour.

Ma also expressed satisfaction with the terms of the agreement in the CLA. He said Bosai was eager for a strong and friendly relationship with its employees and reiterated that as the company grows, the working conditions and other benefits for employees would also improve.

Ma also called upon supervisors to understand the terms of the agreement so it could be applied correctly and employees could adhere to the conditions. This, he added, would allow for a harmonious relationship between management, employees and the union.

NAACIE holds the signing of the CLA as historical, since it is the union’s first formal relationship in the mining industry and its representation of another group of industrial employees. Included in the new agreement are monetary increases in some key areas such as shift and lead hand premium, acting allowance, vacation pay and vacation travel allowance as well as improvement in retrenchment and redundancy benefits. The wages agreement is for one year and will conclude on March 31, 2008 but all the other aspects will remain in force for a four-year period ending March 31, 2011. Wages were last increased in April this year.

Benny pointed out that among the monetary clauses, provisions were made for improvements in the calculation of redundancy and retrenchment and a structured approach to hiring, disciplinary action and termination of services.