BOSAI workers secure 7.5% and 8% wage increases

Workers of the BOSAI Bauxite Mining Company in Linden will benefit from wage and salary increases of 7.5% in 2025 and 8% in 2026, following an agreement reached on Monday between the company’s management, the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), and the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning.

Labour and Manpower Planning Minister Keoma Griffith confirmed the deal when contacted Monday afternoon. The agreement also includes other benefits that will be finalised in writing, according to officials familiar with the process.

Monday’s settlement follows weeks of tensions that boiled over into strike action by BOSAI workers last week. The dispute had its roots in disagreements over wage proposals: management had initially offered 7% for 2025, while the union pressed for 8.5%. After nine rounds of talks, several breakdowns, and the intervention of the Ministry of Labour, the parties finally converged on the compromise of 7.5% for 2025 and 8% for 2026.

A union representative, speaking after Monday’s session, said the outcome marked progress compared to recent years:

“For the last eight years, we didn’t move beyond 7%. So to achieve 7.5% this year and 8% next year is a job well done from the union’s perspective.”

On Friday last BOSAI workers staged a strike over unresolved wage and benefit issues. The Ministry of Labour swiftly intervened, with Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine chairing an emergency meeting that produced a Terms of Resumption agreement. Workers returned to the job the following day, with both sides committing to conciliation.

That conciliation process culminated in Monday’s agreement, which the ministry described as “an important step in restoring industrial harmony in Linden’s bauxite sector.”

The Ministry of Labour has assured that it will continue to monitor the implementation of the agreement to ensure both sides honour their commitments.