Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
NAACIE warns GPL over sloth in wages, salaries negotiations
The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) has sounded a warning to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) over negotiations for improved wages and salaries.
NAACIE’s General Secretary, Kenneth Joseph
The union said, yesterday, that its members are upset over GPL’s “deliberate refusal to meet with the union to negotiate proposals for improved salaries, wages and working conditions for the senior and junior staff employees represented by NAACIE.”
According to NAACIE, since May 16, 2012, it had dispatched to GPL its demands outlining proposals and claims to constitute a renewed Collective Labour Agreement covering the conditions affecting the GPL workers for which NAACIE is the sole bargaining agent.
“The proposals were to cover the period January 1 to December 31, 2012 and related to wages contractual salaries increase, overtime work, stand-by time, a variety of allowances and premiums, first aid medical facilities, among the varied benefits and responsibilities that these GPL workers are affected by during their daily technical and risky hours of work.”
NAACIE made it clear that the ball and initiative are now in the company’s court. “NAACIE hopes that good sense will prevail in this season of goodwill when industrial peace should also prevail.”
The union explained that following the May submission of the demands, GPL met with them briefly in early November during which it was agreed that more substantial discussions would ensue at another early session.
“No such meeting has been convened as the working year hurtles to its end. The union and workers are now therefore disgusted by this obvious, deliberate discourtesy and insult to its workers and the union.”
According to NAACIE’s General Secretary, Kenneth Joseph, the GPL stance is being seen by the union “as yet another example of a strategy by the GPL Chief Executive Officer and his well paid executives to delay any possible increase for NAACIE until year end, thereby, precluding the hard working employees from any fringe benefits like bonuses which they deserve.”
“Even though this is not about Christmas, per se,” Joseph explained, “it reeks of insulting behaviour towards the workers bargaining agent as well as the usual contempt for the unionised employees who are not contractual favourites of the CEO and his team. Something has got to give if there is no urgent courtesy.”
Joseph said that he was of the belief that GPL’s “contempt” is perhaps patterned after the technique whereby even the state seems to be ignoring the industrial relations democratic custom and practice of Collective Labour Agreements.
He stressed that GPL workers fall under a different category.
“But GPL workers belong to a corporate entity, somewhat distinct from the more governmental employees, though NAACIE views the contribution of every worker vital to national development for which they must be rewarded commensurately.”
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