THE PORT Authority of Jamaica has announced major changes in vacation and other entitlements for its employees.
The initiative, the first of its kind by a public sector body, involves the restructuring of leave arrangements for the 209 employees including a new regime which will effectively reduce vacation and other leave entitlement, eliminate accumulated vacation leave and provide compensation to staff for the reduction in their leave entitlement.
The new leave regime is the product of an accord negotiated over a two-year period by the Authority's management and representatives of all categories of staff, including National Workers Union, Port Supervisors Union and the Port Authority Staff Association and senior management personnel. The resulting arrangements are in keeping with Government's stated intentions to restructure leave entitlement within the public sector and will bring the Authority's new leave policy more in line with the practices which obtain in the private sector.
The major provisions of the agreement are as follows:
The new leave regime became effective on January 1, 2000.
The reduction in leave entitlement applies to all categories of staff including the Senior Management of The Port Authority.
Reduction in the current annual vacation leave entitlement of 35 days on a graduated scale based on years of service.
The agreement provides that employees with a tenure of less than five years will now be entitled to 15 days; employees with a tenure of 5 - 10 years 20 days, while those with over 10 years service will have their entitlement reduced to 25 days.
A one-off payment as compensation for loss of leave entitlement equivalent to the value of days lost over the next two years. For example, an employee who has lost 10 days per annum, would receive a one-time payment for 20 days. This applies only to vacation leave.
Reduction in department leave from 14 days to five days per annum. In addition, there will be no compensation for reduced departmental leave.
Payment for all vacation leave above seventy-five days to employees with such outstanding leave as at December 31, 1999. This payment will be spread over a three-year period. The elimination of all remaining outstanding vacation leave by December 2001.
Under this agreement, all current leave entitlement must be taken during the calendar year. However, in special circumstances an employee will be allowed to carry forward up to a maximum of ten days vacation leave which must be taken in the next calendar year or be lost without any compensation.
In a release announcing the new leave package, Port Authority president Noel Hylton expressed pleasure that through consultation and co-operation both workers and management, have been able to resolve this issue. He added that "it is a good sign of the maturity of the industrial relations process which augurs well for the future."
The President, on behalf of the Port Authority's Board paid special tribute to the staff and Trade Unions for their co-operation and understanding in reaching this agreement, notwithstanding the protracted and sometimes difficult negotiation process.
He further noted that such an agreement would not have been possible without a spirit of compromise on both sides.
Mr. Hylton stated that the new regime will facilitate a more stable working environment conducive to the efficiency and productivity demanded by the international environment in which the Port operates.
Other benefits include greater productivity arising from the increase in available man-hours by up to 20 days per annum per employee, direct savings of approximately $7 million per annum, and a higher level of service due to greater availability of staff.
During the negotiations consultations were maintained with the Ministry of Finance which gave its approval to the agreement and the Ministry of Transport and Works with responsibility for the Authority endorsed the initiative.
