Opposition Leader urges re-establishment of collective bargaining

…says crucial for creating a better environment for workers

The importance of collective bargaining was on Monday highlighted by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, who during Labour Day observances in Georgetown called for the collective bargaining process to be re-established.
During an interview with the media, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) leader described collective bargaining as a must. So important is it, according to Norton, that it can directly improve the lives of workers.

“And like I said earlier, as you shift more towards the private enterprises and you need to protect workers, I believe collective bargaining will have to be re-established as a mechanism for trade unions to not only wield power but represent their members and be able to find good agreements for them,” Norton said.
“So, for me, collective bargaining is part of the process. If you look at our industrial system, you will see it is characterised by trade unions, which are representatives of the people, businesses, which are representative of business interests and the Ministry of Labour, which should be a mediator and a conciliator.”
According to Norton, if all these stakeholders can successfully “play their role, then we can get a better environment for workers in general.”
As recently as last year, individual unions have been bargaining with specific State agencies and winning concessions. In December 2022, following an arduous and extensive negotiation process, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) signed a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) that will see over 70 per cent of GPL employees benefitting from a seven per cent salary increase.
Nor is that all. During the signing ceremony in the Labour Ministry’s Boardroom, NAACIE’s General Secretary, Dawchan Nagar, had revealed that the agreement affords several other incentives to further motivate employees, including improvements in allowances, outside of salary.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Renford Homer had noted that the negotiation process was not without its challenges. However, he said both parties have managed to arrive at an amicable agreement in the interest of consolidation. Moreover, he stressed that despite the financial difficulties GPL has been facing, the company manages to take into consideration the needs of its employees.

“I think the negotiation leading up to where we are today was one that embraces professional maturity and mutual respect. The Board of Directors and management of GPL, notwithstanding that challenge, recognises the need to take into consideration the desires and expectations, to some extent, of employees, and tried its best to make an offer. It is one that was considered affordable and palatable,” Homer had pointed out.
And just one month prior, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) had signed their own Collective Labour Agreement (CLA). The 16-page agreement addresses 33 clauses on a range of matters which will see 36 workers benefitting.
Among the issues considered by the CLA were the payment of overtime, annual leave, subsistence allowance, meals allowance, hazard allowance, the mechanism for promotion, sickness leave, occupational safety and health (OSH), among a host of other conditions.
The GAWU in the latter half of 2021 had also secured bargaining rights on behalf of the employees of the Board. Ever since, GAWU has been working with the workers in developing and negotiating the CLA.
Apart from that, the Union has been able to address a few other issues in the interest of the workers. The GAWU is pleased that it has been able to continue to advance the interest of workers.