By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE INCORPORATED Master-builders Association of Jamaica (IMBAJ) and the Joint Industrial Council (JIC) that represents construction workers have wrapped up a new wage package for the over 4,000 construction workers in the building sector. The new wage agreement is to be signed within two weeks.
Both parties are to meet again on September 2 to fine-tune the wage package and hammer out a payment schedule for the disbursement of the new wages, as well as the payment of the retroactive sums.
After seven months of protracted wage negotiations, consensus was arrived at late on Tuesday evening during a meeting at the Labour Ministry. The new wage-and-fringe-benefits package, which covers the February 2003/2005 contract period, provides for a $500 per week increase for unskilled workers and $550 per week for skilled employees in the first year of the contract.
In the second year of the agreement, there is to be a 10 per cent increase for all categories of construction employees.
LIFE INSURANCE
And the life insurance scheme has now moved up to $325,000 per worker on and off the job, with a double indemnity clause. There has also been improvement in the health scheme and in the salaries of watchmen on construction sites.
Additionally the JIC, which comprises the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, National Workers Union and Trades Union Congress, will be pushing for an evaluation/reclassification exercise for the workers.
"As an addendum to the settlement, the union will at the next meeting be requesting an independent market research consultant to carry out a job evaluation exercise in the building sector," said Frank McDonald, assistant island supervisor of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU).
"We believe that there is too much disparity in wages between companies in the construction industry and a revaluation exercise could identify the disparity problem and result in many of the workers getting additional increases," Mr. McDonald told The Gleaner.
In the meantime, both the IMAJ and the JIC are pleased with the wage settlement.
"It's a fair settlement, considering how the inflation rate has had a negative impact on the sector over the last year. It's the most reasonable package we could approve at this time," Don Mullings, President of the IMAJ told The Gleaner.
Similar sentiments were ex-pressed by the unions. "The unions were trying to get more for the construction workers but we still have to face the facts. The construction industry is not at its most viable and best at this time," commented the BITU's assistant island supervisor.
