Govt settles 35 wage disputes since May 2010

Government has described as “historic” the successful signing of 35 collective agreements, out of a possible list of 57 matters, since May 2010. A Government Information Service Limited (GISL) media release yesterday stated that had been possible through the efforts of the office of the Chief Personnel Officer and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Public Sector Wage Negotiations

Commenting on the list, Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, in his capacity as chairman of the ministerial team, said it was “an impressive achievement,” given the financial and economic background against which that agenda has been advanced. Among the matters settled were:
• The settlement of salary, COLA and allowances for monthly paid employees of the Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service and the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Services for the period 2008 -2010;
• wages for the periods July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2011 and October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2011 for staff of the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited barging Units I, II &III; and
• wages and allowances for hourly, weekly, junior and senior staff of Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago for the period June 2008 to May 31, 2011.

The attached list contains full details of the matters which have been successfully concluded over the period.