WITCO GIVES 6% WAGE INCREASE TO ALL ITS STAFF

CCNTV6

The West Indian Tobacco Company Ltd WITCO announced on Wednesday that it has given a six per cent wage increase over a three year period to all of its employees.  The company said it settled negotiations with the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union - the SWWTU, almost a month ago.  Juhel Browne reports.

Transcript

00:00 Whitco said in a media release on Wednesday, August 23rd, that on Friday, the 28th of July,

00:06 the company and the SWWTU finalized the collective bargaining agreements with a 6% wage increase

00:13 for both hourly paid workers and monthly paid staff.

00:17 Many public servants are waiting on their unions to settle outstanding wage negotiations

00:22 with the Chief Personal Officer who is offering 4% on behalf of the government for the collective

00:27 periods from 2014 to 2019, an offer only a few unions have accepted.

00:35 Whitco said its negotiations with the SWWTU occurred over two months and cover the period

00:41 2023 to 2025.

00:44 Whitco said the parties' negotiation teams were led by Whitco's Head of HR Operations,

00:51 Leah Ishmael Lynch, and Head of HR Caribbean, Luke Gittens, as well as SWWTU President General,

00:58 Michael Allisette, and Branch Chairman, Ricardo Hackett.

01:02 Whitco said its Managing Director, Raoul Glynn, was also present and said the negotiations

01:07 were transparent, respectful, based on comprehensive data, and the company's very competitive positioning

01:14 in the market.

01:15 TV6 News spoke with SWWTU President General Allisette via telephone.

01:20 "We would have done the comparative analysis to the industries and where we are as a company

01:28 in terms of market salaries and terms and conditions.

01:34 Coming out of that, the 6% would have been a reasonable proposition given all the circumstances

01:43 and the evaluations and the analysis that we would have done as an organization."

01:49 Whitco said the negotiations were focused on balancing adjustments in both wages and

01:54 benefits, inclusive of but not limited to enhancements in health benefits, as well as

02:00 gradual increases in allowances and premiums.

02:04 Jule Brown, TV6 News.

02:06 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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