Healthcare and unions agree agree on new CLA

The Daily Herald reports that Windward Islands Health Care Union Association and Saba United People’s Labour Union and Association signed a covenant with Benevolent Foundation Saba, Saba Health Care Foundation, St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home and St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation for a new two-year Collective Labour Agreement (CLA). After two days of negotiations all parties came to an agreement with a covenant signed by the presidents and directors of the four health-care organizations and the two labour unions.

The CLA is effective from January 1, 2015, and will run through December 31, 2016. Some of the changes include a Christmas-bonus increase, special care-day increase, and longer special leave for certain matters. All parties also agreed to

work closely together on a social policy. All parties said they were proud of the positive outcomes of the negotiations and the way in which an agreement had been reached in the best interest for the health care workers on Statia and Saba.