Labour Minister Senator Claudette Joseph has said that the just concluded industrial dispute between the Bank and General Workers Union (BGWU) and Republic Bank Grenada Ltd. underscores the “need to make some substantive changes to the dispute resolution mechanism under the law that will protect the workers and safeguard the employers’ interest.”
Sen. Joseph advanced the argument during Tuesday’s sitting of the Upper House of Parliament at Mt. Wheldale, St. George’s.
Unable to agree on a new collective agreement bilaterally, Sen. Joseph noted that the parties invoked the dispute mechanism under the Ministry of Labour, which concluded on March 13.
Led by their bargaining agent, Republic Bank workers engaged in strike action for 15 days this past month as the Bank appeared to be dragging its feet to implement the Labour Minister’s recommendations for unresolved fringe benefits, and a 12.25% increase over four (4) years, four (4) months after mediation concluded.
The Bank responded indicating that it needed the Minister’s recommendations in writing before it acted.
Approximately one (1) week after this request was fulfilled the Bank indicated that it had rejected the Minister’s recommendation on salary increases but increased its offer from 6.25% to 9.25% over four years.
In a press statement, BGWU, which represents the 180 Republic Bank employees, pointed out that it found “this offer inadequate, considering the significant rise in the cost of living.”
Sen. Joseph said the whole ordeal also highlights “the need to critically analyse our current labour laws for the preservation of a peaceful and harmonious industrial relations climate and setting the stage for a healthy economic space for growth and prosperity in our community.”
She told fellow legislators that “the advisory board is currently (in the process of) doing (so).”
“What I found startling, it wasn’t so much that they did not agree with the recommended increase but that they also indicated that the matters, which we all thought were settled at Mediation, they (the bank) indicated that they wanted to reopen negotiations in relation to those matters,” she said.
The government Senator informed the Upper House that “the parties re-entered negotiations while industrial action ensued and thankfully, ultimately, they came to an agreement.”
According to Sen. Joseph, based on the new collective agreement “salary increases will be paid in the percentage of 10.25% over four years, and the salary of the workers that were docked while they were protesting…those salaries are going to be repaid, save for three days, and, in addition to that all the fringe benefits that were recommended will be implemented.”
“The Bank has assured that it will put measures in place, and take all necessary steps to work to re-integrate the workers with management…,” she said.
The Labour Minister who also holds the portfolio of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs told the sitting that, “we are on track to have the new minimum wages take effect come January 01, 2024.”
She said the government is currently in the process of reviewing the draft report submitted by the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee.
“I think workers, and employers alike will be happy with what would come out of this review,” Sen. Joseph said, adding that “as we (the government) are still reviewing the report, I will not make specific comments on the recommendations made.”