The Grenada Public Workers’ Union (GPWU) has accused the government of undermining a recently signed collective bargaining agreement by excluding some public officers from negotiated benefits and withdrawing allowances, warning that the dispute threatens confidence in the country’s industrial relations system.
In a statement issued on October 20, the union said directives governing implementation of the 2026–2028 agreement had effectively denied thousands of public officers access to benefits negotiated during months of bargaining.
The agreement, signed on August 6, followed months of negotiations between the government and the union. It provides for salary increases of four per cent in 2026, four per cent in 2027 and five per cent in 2028, alongside improvements to allowances and other employment conditions.
However, the GPWU said unestablished workers had been excluded from negotiated fringe-benefit increases, while reports from field officers and other employee categories indicated that travelling and mileage allowances had been withdrawn in some instances.
The union said it began raising concerns with the Department of Public Administration on September 30 and subsequently met the Secretary to the Cabinet and the department’s Permanent Secretary on October 14. According to the union, assurances were given that corrective measures would be taken, but a circular issued on October 16 failed to resolve the dispute.
The GPWU argued that the circular’s failure to clearly reference the 2026–2028 agreement could lead to inconsistent interpretations and further exclusions.
“A Collective Bargaining Agreement is not a suggestion. nor is it subject to selective interpretation after the signatures have dried,” the union stated.
The dispute centres on whether workers should receive the negotiated benefits regardless of whether they hold established or unestablished appointments. The union maintains that both categories have historically benefited from collective bargaining improvements and that the current approach represents a departure from established industrial relations practice.
The GPWU has described the exclusions as discriminatory and inequitable, arguing that workers should not be denied benefits after an agreement has been negotiated and signed on their behalf.
The union is demanding that the government issue a revised memorandum clearly reflecting the agreement, withdraw conflicting directives, restore any improperly withheld allowances, pay outstanding fringe-benefit increases and consult the union on matters affecting its members.
The dispute comes as Grenada seeks to strengthen its labour relations framework. In June, the International Labour Organization reported progress under the country’s 2026–2031 Decent Work Country Programme, which includes efforts to improve dispute resolution and collective bargaining.
The GPWU said it had pursued dialogue and administrative remedies before making its demands public, but warned that continued failure to implement the agreement could damage trust in collective bargaining and generate unnecessary industrial unrest.
The government’s response to the union’s latest demands will be important in determining whether the dispute can be resolved through consultation or escalates into a broader confrontation over public officers’ pay and benefits.
