CGWTU head: No regrets on taking 4% before election

FACING criticism for accepting a four per cent wage increase, almost on the eve of the 2025 general election, president general of the Contractors and General Workers Trade Union (CGWTU) Ermine De Bique-Meade says she has no regrets.

Her acceptance of Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Commander Dr Daryl Dindial’s wage increase covering the period 2014 to 2019 on April 24, follows the acceptance of a five per cent wage increase a week before by the TT Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), for the period 2020 to 2023.

Ancel Roget, leader of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) told the Newsday on May 1, “any self-respecting trade union who are au courant (up to date) with the negotiating process and experiences, would not on the eve of a general election where one party is committing to a better package, would go and sign for a five per cent and give leverage to the incumbent party that was in government at the time.”

Both CGWTU and TTUTA are affiliates of JTUM which was part of the UNC Coalition of Interest which has now formed the government.

Under this accommodation, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, while on the campaign trail promised to start negotiations with public sector workers at 10 per cent, which some of the unions bought into.

Other unions, like TTUTA, made it clear they were non-aligned.

A statement from the CPO’s office indicated that the CGWTU agreement, which covers two negotiating periods from 2014 to 2019 for workers of the San Fernando City Corporation (SFCC), also included market rate-based salary adjustments and closure to outstanding matters including the regrading and classification of several positions.

Dindial applauded De Bique-Meade’s determination to reach a fair agreement for the union and her commitment to the welfare of the daily-rated workers it represented.

He acknowledged the roles of the SFCC workers often demanded more than just physical labour as their contributions required resilience, sacrifice, and a strong dedication to public service.

TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin did not attend the May Day celebration in San Fernando on May 1. He told the Newsday he was on vacation.

De Bique-Meade attended with a strong showing of her union's members.

She said what her union signed off on was much more than four per cent.

“It is not just the four per cent. The CPO’s office never performed a job evaluation on the SFCC workers.”

She said there was no harmonisation of salaries.

“All the years from 2002, the SFCC workers were paid less than workers under the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW).

“The NUGFW represents all daily paid works except in the SFCC. They were able to get adjustments to their salaries from January 1, 2024.”

She explained that the rate for a checker in the SFCC was $251 a day, while those under the NUGFW were in receipt of $271 – a difference of $20.

By signing with the CPO, Bique-Meade said they were able to get that extra $20 for the checkers from January 2014 to present and for all the other classifications.

“It is not just a two per cent by two per cent. It is an adjustment percentage. Workers have benefited. We are saying any adjustment must trickle down to the workers of SFCC.

“So, we have no regrets about signing.”

She said she and her union members were at the rally and were waiting to see positive changes with labour in government, as it relates to the promised increases, labour legislation, the Industrial Court and the IRA.