Sugar Industry: 40% Wage Increase Claimed

These negotiations will start after May 1. For now, the unions of the sugar industry refine a common memory.

Highlights of this thesis will be discussed Wednesday at the rally of workers in the sugar industry in the Octave Wiehe Auditorium, in Reduit. According to the agreement signed with the MSPA, the negotiations on the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding should start this year.

Holding a meeting between the two parties, which was to start in January, has been postponed because of the mobilization against amendments to the Employment Rights Act and the Employment Relations Act.

The trade journals expectations

While unions in the sugar industry had made a request for salary increase of around 45% in 2009, they decided to revise that figure downward to an increase of 40% for some 4500 employees. Negotiations with the sugar in 2010 had finally earned the workers in the sugar industry a wage increase of about 20%. 21 contentious issues contained in this memorandum were subsequently referred to the National Remuneration Board (NRB). This practice was challenged by the Mauritius Sugar Producers Association (MSPA).

After negotiations between the MSPA and unions, three contentious issues were finally referred to the NRB. It is a pension for workers who are retiring, the right for workers to retire between 45 (women) and 50 years (men) and 'night duty allowance' of 25%. The NRB is currently working on the file.

Asked by the Early Bird Monday, Devanand Ramjuttun, a spokesman for the Joint Negotiating Panel, said that the laborers and artisans of the sugar industry are mobilized. "We have held several meetings on various work sites to gather their views. One thing is sure, they are put together because they will not have the right to strike during the holding of the forthcoming negotiations with the MSPA on the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, "said the union.

Several unions participate in the rally on Wednesday. Some include the Plantation Workers 'Union, the Sugar Industry Labourers' Union, the General Workers Federation, the Organization of African Unity Artisans, the Union of the Artisans of the Sugar Industry and Artisans and General Workers Federation . Devanand Ramjuttun said he expected at least three thousand people at the rally from May 1st to Reduced.