By Chantalé Flecther
PRESIDENT of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ancel Roget says he was not surprised on hearing the Amalgamated Workers Union (AWU) president Michael Prentice signed off on Chief Personnel Officer Daryl Dindial’s 4 % offer on Monday. On Monday Prentice finalised collective agreements for the periods 2014 to 2016 and 2017 to 2019.
A release from the CPO’s office confirmed that both parties agreed to several items which included a one-time buyout for retirees in 2014 and 2015 at $4,000 per retiree.
During a virtual conference at the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Hall on Tuesday, Roget described the sign off as “injustice and high level of disrespect for those workers who would have contributed to the country.”
He said they were not surprised when the AWU president signed and accepted what was less than acceptable for his members, as for quite a while, they were very suspicious of his non-attendance and meetings.
Referring to wage classifications, Roget gave a brief breakdown on what was accepted on behalf of the daily paid workers.
He said, “The current rate of pay for a labourer is $2.35, and for the year 2016, an application of 2% on that $2.35 per day is an increase of $4.70 or an increase of $47 per fortnight
“In 2019, when the other 2% is attached it now moves to $4.80 per day or $48 per fortnight. While a sanitation labourer with $2.39 to an adjustment in 2016 to $4.80 and in 2019, it will now move from $4.80 to $4.90 or an increase of $ 49 per fortnight.
“A foreman will get an increase of $80 per fortnight and a carpenter, driver, electrician, and plumber will get an increase of $ 56.50 per fortnight.”
Roget called on the CPO to show what 4% meant in “real dollars and cents” and the adjustment per fortnight for the daily paid as well as various sectors.
Roget said, “There were different levels of supporters of the PNM trying to call and press on the movement that we should accept this. Nothing was said when the declaration of hundreds of millions of dollars of profit was extracted through the same increase of food price on the poor man.
“It cannot be, shall not be and must not be that food prices, living cost, cost to just exist would have been moved enormously and $49, $48, $80 per fortnight was what is being offered for these unions who accept.”
