New wage pact for sugar workers being signed today
A new wage and fringe benefits agreement for sugar workers is to be signed by unions representing the workers and the Sugar Producers Federation (SPF) this morning at the Ministry of Labour, the Observer has learnt.
Negotiations, which have been ongoing since August last year, ended late yesterday evening with representatives of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), National Workers Union (NWU) and University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) reaching agreement with SPF officials for a 7 1/2 per cent increase in the first year and a seven per cent increase in the second year.
The contract, which will be valid for 2002/2003, also provides the workers with a five per cent bonus at the end of the first year and a 7 1/2 per cent increase on all fringes in the first year.
Veteran trade unionist, Pearnel Charles, represented the BITU at the talks, while Trevor Munro and Clive Dobson represented the UAWU and NWU respectively.
