Collective Bargaining Contract Signed
at the Ouanaminthe CODEVI Free Trade Zone

Batay Ouvriye is pleased to inform the public in general, all those concerned who have been following the situation at the Ouanaminthe Free Trade Zone, and particularly those involved with the respect of the workers’ struggle there, that, after several months of negotiations, a final agreement was signed during the afternoon of Tuesday, December 13th, between management at the Codevi Free Trade Zone (Grupo M) and the SOCOWA workers’union, affiliated with the May First Batay Ouvriye Union Federation.

The base salary of 432 gourdes weekly ($10.16 or $1.45 daily) is to be adjusted to 900 gourdes ($21.17 or $3.03 daily) with, additionally, an agreement to raise salaries 45% over a period of three years (20% first, then 15% and 10%), all this taking into account rates of inflation and currency devaluation as specifically stipulated in the national labor legislation’s Article 137
.
Although the question of wages was the crux of the negotiations, many other stipulations were also settled touching upon union recognition; labor rights; work conditions; health, hygiene and security; pregnancy and sexual harassment…

Batay Ouvriye will be releasing more information on this important success shortly. In the meantime, we salute once again, the Codevi workers’ struggles, as well as that of all those in solidarity who contributed to this workplace conflict’s resolution.

Download the Collective Bargaining Contract (in French)