The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company , on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (GPTWU).
The two-year agreement states that “all union members will receive an immediate 2 percent pay increase effective February 2022, this on top of the six percent awarded in October 2021. In January 2023, the members are set to receive a further six percent subject to an additional review depending on inflation levels. The company made further commitments to reward additional increases based on company and individual performance levels.” A press release from the company noted.
The signing was held at the Ministry of Labour. Subject Minister Joseph Hamilton stated that “What this shows is that just a change in style and leadership can improve working [conditions]. GTT recognises the importance of training and retraining in the changing labour landscape.”
Damian Blackburn, the CEO of GTT, indicated that major investments in comprehensive fibre skills training for technicians would lead to the overall development of individuals and the company, and promotions for persons who successfully complete the program. He sees this as a key foundation building block in the delivery of the 2025 vision to improve life experiences to every home and business.
He said, “As a company, we are thrilled to share a good relationship with the union and I have made it a top priority to ensure this comprehensive review of earnings, upskilling, and incentive-based promotion schemes for these employees with a clear and transparent progression pathway for apprentices through to senior technician.”
President of the GPTWU Harold Shepherd described the event as the culmination of “successful negotiations” with the CEO, adding that over the last year, for the first time in recent history, the union has been able to address the backlog of issues they have brought to the attention to the GTT management.
