Isla agrees on arbitration

September 15, 2009 5:47 AM

PWFC-Chairman Angelo Meyer announced that trade union PWFC and the Isla-refinery have reached an agreement on an arbitration course for the payment of the indexation of the Isla-personnel over 2008. The Isla and PWFC differ of opinion on a percentage of 2.9 as compensation for the increase of the costs of living.

The ‘cao’ (collective labor agreement) of the refinery states that if the costs of living increase between 0 to 4 percent during a certain year, the PWFC-members will be paid a compensation of 1600 guilders. The Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) calculated that the costs of living over 2008 had increased with 6.9 percent. In conformity with the collective labor agreement, the company and trade union should consult in order to come up with an agreement. However, that same article, states that payment depends on the results of the company. The Isla stated that it was not capable of paying the extra 2.9 percent.
In first instance, the Isla rejected a request from PWFC to present this dispute to an independent arbitration committee, but according to Meyer, both parties agreed during a mutual consultation, that an arbitration process should be started in this case.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

September 14, 2009