THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) on Tuesday inked a long awaited agreement recognising the union as the bargaining agent for the Bridge’s 40 person work force. The agreement styled the Recognition and the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes outlines the conduct of relationship between the union and the company.

According to a release from GAWU in August last year some employees of the Bridge sought the approval of the Union to become their representative union. On September 10, 2009 the Union forwarded its application, supported by two thirds of the Bridge’s employees, to the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board seeking to be certified as the employees’ bargaining agent.

The Board’s approval was granted on November 30, 2009 but unfortunately the Management of the Bridge procrastinated to having the Agreement signed for unexplained reasons which they seem to have sorted out.

The union said it will now fully ascertain the worker’s proposals and requests which they would wish to constitute in a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) and would submit the approved proposals to the Company for the parties to negotiate. The proposals, approved by the parties, will constitute the CLA.

The union further stated that it looks forward to having a fruitful and productive relationship with BBCI and hopes that within the shortest possible time the Collective Labour Agreement would be in place.

This is the 12th bargaining unit in the private and public sectors under the aegis of the union which represents 22,000 workers throughout the country.