Monthly-rated employees of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) will benefit from a four per cent salary adjustment and lump-sum payment totalling $72.3 million after yesterday’s signing of a memorandum of agreement between the utility and the Public Services Association. The salary adjustment takes effect from January 1, 2011. The issue of the salary adjustment and lump-sum payment were put on the table at the start of negotiations between WASA and the PSA for a new collective agreement for the period 2011 to 2013. In the previous 2008 to 2010 collective agreement, the PSA had settled for a five per cent salary increase for its monthly-rated workers.
But subsequent to that settlement, the PSA on December 28, 2012, signed an agreement with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) on behalf of workers in the wider Public Service that allowed for a lump-sum payment and a salary adjustment based on ranges. WASA’s head of corporate communications Ellen Lewis said yesterday’s signing of the agreement sought to balance the terms of the 2011 WASA-PSA agreement with that of the PSA-CPO agreement. The utility’s acting chief executive officer, Gerard Yorke, described the agreement as another significant step in mature and collective bargaining which, he said, is reflective of the harmonious relationship that exists between the authority and the PSA.
He said authority is committed to completing the negotiations for the 2011-2013 collective agreement period and anticipates an early settlement. President of the PSA Watson Duke described the agreement as a momentous occasion for employees of WASA. He said it would serve as a catalyst for the current negotiations. The agreement was signed by Yorke and director of human resources Ken Mahabir. Signing on behalf of the PSA were Duke and chairman of PSA/WASA section Leroy Baptiste A similar agreement was also signed with the Estate Police Association yesterday.