GAWU inks labour pact with Gold Board

Nov 09, 2022 News

…paternity leave, overtime among benefits

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) on Tuesday signed their first Collective Labour Agreement (CLA).

The 16-page Agreement addresses thirty-three clauses on a range of matters. Among the issues considered by the CLA are the payment of overtime, annual leave, subsistence allowance, meals allowance, hazard allowance, the mechanism for promotion, sickness leave, occupational safety and health (OSH), among a host of other conditions.

GAWU and Gold Board Officials after the signing of the Collective Labour Agreement

A new feature in the CLA is the provision of Paternity Leave where fathers would receive one month’s leave with pay on the birth of their child (ren). It is the first time GAWU has been able to negotiate such condition and an issue which is important in our contemporary times.

During a simple signing activity at the Ministry of Labour, GAWU’s General Secretary Aslim Singh expressed the satisfaction that the agreement was reached at the bilateral level. He noted that through frank and full discourses, issues were fully ventilated and each side had the opportunity to make their points-of-view known. This, he said, augured well for the relationship between the parties as the General Secretary indicated the Union looked forward to fruitful relations with the GGB.

Similarly, GGB’s General Manager, Eondrene Thompson expressed satisfaction with the agreement. She said the Board recognises the importance of ensuring that employees are comfortable.

Thompson said that the discussions took place in a manner which lend to mutually satisfactory outcomes.

Chief Labour Officer, Dhaneshwar Deonarine congratulated GAWU and the GGB and noted that the Ministry of Labour was pleased that the parties were able to finalise an agreement.

The GAWU in latter 2021 secured bargaining rights on behalf of the employees of the Gold Board. Since then the Union has been working with the workers to develop and negotiate the CLA.

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