BITU President Kavan Gayle - Gleaner file photo
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Senator Kavan Gayle, President of the BITU
By Nakinskie Robinson
The president of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Senator Kavan Gayle, says employees could be adversely affected by the recent caution by Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor Richard Byles against employers granting massive wage increases.
Speaking with Radio Jamaica News, Mr. Gayle asserted that the governor's statement has swayed several private sector entities to be sparing with their wage offers.
"The report that we are getting is that, you know, negotiations were going fine until that statement came, which somehow changed the mood in terms of how some employers, and I'm not saying all, some employers would have approached the negotiation with some level of caution. And yes, it would have set some sort of a damper on those negotiations."
While some companies, taking guidance from the statement, are moving at a more cautious pace, the BITU president has encouraged them "not to yield to that temptation".
The BITU, which represents more than 90 per cent of workers in the financial, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism sectors, said it is working to restore the purchasing power of employees.
Senator Gayle believes incentives must also be properly negotiated in order to boost labour productivity.
"This, too, has sparked a kind of debate that is needed for the private sector and the labour force around the examination of reward and investment through productivity bargaining. So that may have been one of the positives that have come out of this," he said of the BOJ governor's statement.
According to the BITU president, workers expect a reasonable return on their investment, especially when they hear companies announce increased revenues and profitability.
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