THE MANAGEMENT of the Doctor Bird Power Station, Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, and the National Workers' Union (NWU) are to sign a new labour agreement this morning at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The signing will seal decisions reached at a meeting between the parties at the ministry on Thursday. The workers staged a one-day stoppage at the power station last week Monday, to protest against a breakdown in the negotiations. They resumed the following day to facilitate a local level meeting at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, New Kingston.
The parties were unable to settle all outstanding issues at the Hilton talks and this required a conciliatory meeting at the Ministry on Thursday, at which an understanding was reached on the unsettled issues. They agreed to meet again at the ministry at 10 o'clock this morning to sign a new two-year agreement.
Under the new agreement, the workers will get an 8 per cent pay raise this year and a further 10 per cent next year. Also, there was agreement for the introduction of a grading system, discomfort allowance, height premium and transport system, as well as improvements in laundry allowance, a 100 per cent increase in educational assistance for the children of the staff from $125,000 to $250,000, triple-time pay for public holidays, shift and Sunday premiums.
Granville Valentine, NWU representative, said the agreement would bring the power barge workers' rates "very close" to those paid to Jamaica Public Service Company's staff.
The Doctor Bird station is operated by North American Energy Services (Jamaica) Ltd. and is one of several private power companies which, combined, provide the JPSCo with 722 megawatts of power.
