Employees of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will now benefit from a 20% increase as the local consortium and three trade unions yesterday signed a multi-year collective bargaining agreement.
Expected to cover the next four years, the agreement sees the salaries being given to the lowest band of employees moving from $49,714 to a new minimum of $60,000.
It was noted that the agreement comes as a direct result of the correspondence and discussion held between the three unions, namely the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) and DDL in relation to compensation and fringe benefits for bargaining unit employees in the non- management categories of the company.
The agreement which was signed in the boardroom of the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour, is to be enforceable from 2015 to 2019, during which time it will cater for gradual increases being given to workers.
Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle stated that the signing of the agreement is proof that collective bargaining is still alive. He further applauded the maturity that was displayed by all parties during the drafting of the agreement.
The head of each union shared similar sentiments and they all highlighted the fact that there was no need for a third party interference by the Ministry. They were confident that the level of maturity displayed by the parties would be a continuous factor as the agreement runs its course.
Meanwhile, Director of DDL Moneeta Singh-Bird noted that the agreement was the fourth of its kind for the company, which she said continues to lead the way in industrial relations.
“We are pleased that in new agreement we have raised the new minimum wage to $60,000 per month. Persons who have been employed with the company will get performance-based increases each year. DDL wishes to reiterate at this level that our employers are important to us, they are a part of us, and they are important shareholders. We require a lot of our employees and together, as a team, we ensure that the company continues to thrive, even in sometimes difficult national and international environments,” she added.
Representing the unions at the signing were Ann Anderson, of the CCWU, Komal Chand and Seepaul Narine of GAWU, and Carvil Duncan of the GLU.
