Georgetown: Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) Deputy CEO Aeshwar Deonarine said that the power company would be honouring the arbitration’s decision handed down by Chairman of the arbitration tribunal, Justice Prem Persaud Thursday.
The tribunal deal with GPL workers, who went on strike earlier this year over a five percent all-inclusive package. This involved a one percent across the board pay increase that was rejected by the Union, which had demanded an eight percent across the board increase.
However, after the decision many GPL workers felt vindicated in their claims that the company had not upheld the signed 2001 collective bargaining agreement.
Other members of the tribunal include Dr. Gobind Ganga, Deputy Governor of Bank of Guyana; and Grantley Culbard, former General Secretary of Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union to deal with the issue.
Justice Prem Persaud handed over the related report to Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul, in which it was indicated that increases of 6 percent and 5.5 percent retroactive to January 2012, would be paid to employees in the categories from grade one to eight.
The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) General Secretary Kenneth Joseph said that the union’s contention was not particularly for the workers’ payment, but was really for the electricity company to honour the agreement.
“We have been vindicated, the (2001) agreement continues to exist. The company was saying that the agreement ended in 2003, but at the moment that agreement continues to exist, and will exist until it is superseded by another agreement.”
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