NEGOTIATIONS have begun between the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association (IMAJ) and trade unions representing more than 20,000 unionised construction workers for a new wage package.

The first meeting was held last Thursday and they are likely to continue this week as, according to a union spokesman, agreement has already been reached between the parties on seven of the 10 points included in their wage claim.

But according to Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) spokesman for the industry, Alden Brown, the talks could go on much longer than anticipated as a sizeable gap still exists between their claims and the offers being made by the contractors.

It was confirmed last weekend that the unions — which also include the National Workers Union and the Trade Union Congress — are seeking an increase of nine per cent for the first year (2020), and a further nine per cent for the second (2022) of a two-year agreement. In response, the contractors have offered zero per cent increase this year, and five per cent next year.

But IMAJ President Lenworth Kelly said he was optimistic that an agreement will be reached before the end of the month.

“They have made a claim and we have made a counter-offer, but we have to try and keep wages affordable. Normally, we would have settled before the end of January and we are still hoping to meet that deadline this year,” he added.

Construction workers, who fall under the tripartite Joint Industrial Council (JIC), last received a pay increase of 11 per cent per 40-hour week for the period ending January 31, 2021. That was made up of a six per cent increase in 2019, and a five per cent increase in 2020, for a normal 40-hour work week lasting over five days.

They are also paid a number of allowances, including overtime rates of time and a half for working extra hours Mondays to Fridays, and double time for Saturdays and Sundays.