A significant labor dispute has emerged at Grenada’s T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) after the Cabinet of Ministers refused to approve a previously negotiated 5% salary increase for 2025. Public Workers Union (PWU) President Daisy Hazzard revealed the development during a press conference on December 1st, characterizing the government’s intervention as “devastating” and “unprecedented.
The conflict centers on a collective bargaining agreement that union representatives and government agents had spent nine months negotiating. According to Hazzard, just as both parties reached consensus, the Cabinet unexpectedly demanded renegotiation of terms already settled. TAMCC, as a statutory body receiving government subventions through Ministry of Education allocations, requires Cabinet approval for such agreements.
Hazzard expressed profound frustration with the reversal, stating: “It is unprecedented when negotiations are concluded, and the Cabinet comes back to say we are not satisfied to honor what the agents did on our behalf.” She emphasized that the Cabinet had ample opportunity during the nine-month negotiation period to provide input.
Compounding the dispute, the government has proposed that college workers accept a percentage increase reflective of 2017 levels instead of the agreed-upon 2025 adjustment. Furthermore, the Cabinet has conditioned the 2025 increase on workers accepting a reduced 3% raise for 2026-2028.
The government has cited potential regional military conflict and declining inflation rates as justification for revisiting the salary agreement. This development affects all staff at Grenada’s sole community college and represents a significant setback in labor relations between public sector workers and the current administration.