WIFOL, Oyster Bay
sign three-year CLA
OYSTER POND--The Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) and the management of Oyster Bay Resort signed a three-year Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) securing benefits for workers in several areas, on Wednesday after about ten months of negotiations.
The agreement, which was signed about an hour later than originally scheduled, was wrapped up within one day of the company's top brass meeting with the union.
The agreement will enable workers to get approximately 5 per cent accumulative salary increases and management and the union will meet on an annual basis to determine whether additional increases will be paid based on management's cash flow. The CLA was backdated to January 1.
Workers are also entitled to 22 days annual vacation and will be eligible for an additional 4 days based on their attendance records. The Christmas bonus was also reinstated and workers will get time off with pay, among other benefits, said WIFOL President Theophilus Thompson. Female workers will also be entitled to 15 weeks' maternity leave.
He said there had been some "anxious" periods during negotiations, but all level of management along with the company's negotiator Gaston Basman had met with the union and an agreement had been reached.
"Employees know that they are appreciated and management holds them in high regard," said Oyster Bay's Managing Director Mike Dolente shortly after signing the CLA. "Management has some financial responsibilities and we need to ensure that we have this budgeted. We did a good job in coming to an understanding and now teamwork needs to be established."
WIFOL met with Oyster Bay workers shortly before the agreement was signed to update them on details of the CLA.
