Less than two years after the start of negotiations between National Flour Mills Limited (NFM) and the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU), both parties signed off on a 7% wage increase on June 30, 2026.

Chairman Hamlyn Jailal led the NFM team, while President General Michael Annissette led the SWWTU representatives at the signing ceremony held at NFM’s headquarters in Port of Spain.

The new salaries take effect on July 1, 2026, based on increases of 3%, 2%, and 2% for the first, second, and third years of the bargaining periods under negotiation: 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025 for hourly-paid employees, and Jan 1, 2023, to Dec 31, 2025, for monthly-paid employees.

Beyond the eagerly anticipated salary increase, workers will also benefit from higher rates for shift premiums, COLA, and other allowances. The Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) also cover non-cost items that aim to create a more employee-centric work environment and enhance the overall worker experience.

NFM and the SWWTU are setting new boundaries for cooperation and productivity. This achievement is a pivotal step in labour relations between the parties, as NFM’s new leadership seeks to build a progressively constructive relationship with the SWWTU, the union recognized by the majority of NFM workers since 1977.

At the ceremony, SWWTU took the opportunity to express the need to keep worker issues on the front burner. NFM, in turn, welcomed efforts to mutually develop solutions that lift employee welfare standards.

With recent plant modernization projects and improved working conditions, NFM is progressing through its checklist in preparation to ramp up productivity. The company plans to focus on distribution and other core functions to have its products more widely available at home and abroad.