Power company, NAACIE agree on 10% wage hike
By Nigel Williams
Stabroek News
December 2, 2002
The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) are to sign an agreement today which would allow workers to receive a 10% pay hike for this year.
The 10% increase would be retroactive from January 1, 2002 to December. The 10% increase would be below the figure the union had sought but is above what GPL had offered initially.
According to a source at NAACIE, the following allowances will also apply for the period January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003. Meal allowances will range from $325-$650. There will be an increase in the eating on site allowance to $425, away from base allowance to $425, call out payment to $650 and Out of Pocket Allowance to $650.
The agreement will also see an increase in the car mileage allowance to $67 per mile. The motor cycle and bicycle allowances are as follows; pedal cycles $1200 per month, motor cycles under 250cc $5700, 250cc and over $6000. Meter readers will also receive $6000 per month. The risk allowance would be $1,500, and nightshift premium $34 per hour.
According to the union official, both parties are to agree today to continue negotiations for the year 2003 immediately on completion of the agreement for 2002, in order to arrive at an early settlement in 2003.
The parties are also expected to work together to put in place as early as possible in 2003, an organisational performance element, which will be based on the organisation achieving targeted improvements in revenue collection and commercial loss reduction. External operations at the Guyana Power and Light were affected on November 12 when workers protested the slow manner in which negotiations for the increase were proceeding. The industrial action came at a time when NAACIE and the management of GPL were locked in discussions with the Ministry of Labour. The protest action lasted for a few hours before it was called off by General President of NAACIE, Kenneth Joseph.
NAACIE had earlier in the year proposed to the company a 30% across-the-board increase for its staff, but this was rejected by the company's management which said that the company had been suffering severe losses.
NAACIE represents senior and junior staff, clerical workers and others including pole planters. The Guyana Public Service Union is the other union that represents GPL staff.
