Two of the labor unions negotiating for wage increase on behalf of Grenada’s public sector workers are calling for the 2023-2025 negotiations to be completed quickly.
“Our unions encourage the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) to ensure the negotiations are completed in the shortest time averting lengthy retroactive periods and large payments from incurring,” said a joint statement from the Public Workers Union (PWU) and the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union (GTAWU).
The two unions which are engaged in joint negotiations with the government submitted proposals for the three-year period on September 22, 2022.
The statement said counterproposals were received from the GNT on December 9, 2022, with the GNT informing of its intent to have joint negotiations with all unions and uniformed staff associations (police and prison) together.
The PWU and GTAWU said the parties met in the first session of negotiations on December 14 but meetings set since they have been postponed by the GNT.
“Both the Government and PWU/GTAWU have indicated their intent to not engage long periods of retroactivity. In fact, Government has indicated in the past that they have an obligation to have all wage adjustments and increases catered for in the year they become due,” reminded the unions in the statement.
A collective agreement that covered the years 2020 to 2022 was signed in 2019 with the New National Party administration. That provided for salary increases of approximately 12.5 percent for the period.
The unions are requesting an increase of eight percent for 2023 and 2024 and nine percent for 2025. However, the government’s counteroffer is four percent for 2023, and two percent for years 2024 and 2025.
The minutes of the Finance Committee meeting held on November 21, 2022, which were circulated as part of annex documents of the 2023 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, show there is an increase of four percent to cover salaries for government workers.
CMC/
