Performance-based pay hikes, increased allowances for DDL workers

Last Updated on Friday, 7 August 2020, 10:40 by Denis Chabrol

Several categories of workers at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will “this year only” receive between 5 and 7 percent increase in salaries, following joint negotiations with the three unions, they said on Friday.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), and the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) said in a joint statement that they and DDL’s management also agreed to set up a system to address workers’ concerns about the performance-based payments.

“Workers increases are based on their performance which is evaluated by the Company. The agreement provides a mechanism whereby unsatisfied workers could approach the Union and for another evaluation to be conducted to determine their performance and thus rise-in-pay,” the unions said.

Apart from pay hikes, the Unions said they and DDL reached agreement on improved rates of meals allowance, overtime rates, premium rates and leave passage assistance.

GAWU said it has already begun preparing for next year’s agreement.

GAWU, meanwhile,  said it would continue to engag  employers regarding their employees’ health and well-being at the workplace while ensuring adequate and appropriate protections are provided. We are hopeful in the coming weeks to engage other employers regarding improvements in conditions-of-work.