26904: walton (news) Collective Bargaining Contract Signed by Grupo M M anagement - Batay Ouvriye (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

waltonr@hotmail.com

Some good news from- Batay Ouvriye

"FLASH NEWS RELEASE !
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"

_________________________________
HELP!

Some questions regarding "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) ...."

1. Does this mean that the base salary of $21.17 (900 gourdes) will be paid
for a SEVEN-day work-week as implied by "$3.03 daily" or am I missing
something?

2. How many days and hours-per-day constitute a "normal" work week for an
individual worker?