by Linda Straker
- Unions in joint negotiations on wage increases covering 2023-2025
- Unions reportedly want increase of 8% for 2023 and for 2024, and 9% for 2025
- Government’s counteroffer is 4% for 2023 and 2% for years 2024 and for 2025
Two of the trade unions negotiating on behalf of Government workers want to see the 2023-2025 negotiations completed in the shortest time so that the Government will not have to pay a significant amount in monthly retroactive payments.
“Our Unions encourage the Government Negotiating Team 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 2 unions are engaged in joint negotiations on wage increases with the Government of Grenada covering 2023-2025. Proposals for the 3-year period were communicated to the Government of Grenada on 22 September 2022.
“Counter Proposals were received from the Government Negotiating Team (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; parties met in the first session of negotiations on December 14, 2022,” said the statement which pointed out that the meetings set following the initial meeting have been postponed by the GNT have not come off.
“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,” said the statement.
A collective agreement that covered 2020-2022 was signed in 2019 with the then Dr Keith Mitchell-New National Party Administration. That collective labour agreement provided for salary increases of approximately 12.5% for the period which expired on 31 December 2022.
The Unions are reportedly requesting an increase of 8% for 2023 and 2024 respectively, and 9% for 2025 but the Government’s counter offer is 4% for 2023 and 2% for years 2024 and 2025 respectively.
The Minutes of the Finance Committee meeting held 21 November 2022 show that there is an increase of 4% for Government workers in the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2023. According to the minutes, during the discussion of Vote 5 which is the allocation for the Public Service Commission, the Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition commented on the factors that caused the significant increase in the budgeted allocation for 2023 of $1,065,577 compared to $770,745 in 2022. “PS Mike Sylvester mentioned that the increase covered the 4% in salaries, noting that the Police and Prison Associations had already agreed to the increase. He stated further that the increase was across the different Votes throughout the Public Service,” said the minutes which were circulated as part of annex documents of the 2023 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
