News Releases

“Historic” collective agreement on wages signed by The UWI and OWTU

For Release Upon Receipt - March 6, 2015

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – On March 4, 2015, the management of The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine formally signed the Collective Agreement with the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) on behalf of the daily/weekly paid workers for the period 1st January, 2008 to 31st December, 2010.

This is the first time that The UWI and the OWTU have completed a Collective Agreement for the Daily/ Weekly Paid workers at the University since the OWTU was granted recognition status as the Bargaining Agent for this category of workers on August 3, 2009. In 2013 parties had signed a Memorandum of Agreement which had facilitated the payment to these workers the revised salaries for the 2008 to 2010 period. The cordiality expressed by both parties in creating history, augurs well for the current ongoing negotiations for the period 2011-2013.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Clement Sankat, used the occasion to reaffirm his commitment to providing an educational institution that recognizes the value and well-being of the staff. He expressed the view that The UWI can only achieve excellence and success if both bodies work together, in a timely manner.

President General of the OWTU Ancel Roget, acknowledged the many challenges, both financial and other, faced by The UWI. However, he gave his assurance to work with The UWI’s management in moving the current negotiations process forward as quickly as possible. Members of the two other bargaining units operating at The UWI: the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) and representatives of the Estate Police Association (EPA) joined the OWTU for a luncheon hosted by the Campus Principal immediately following the ceremony.

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About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. Website: www.uwi.edu

 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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