By Balford Henry and Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporters
Peart
THE GOVERNMENT and the Police Federation may be finally heading towards a settlement of their 10-month-old pay dispute.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Michael Peart, yesterday told the House of Representatives that he expected to have the pay issue settled within two weeks. He said the Government was also seeking to have an early settlement of the pay dispute with the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA).
"I'm confident that in the next couple of weeks we should have a settlement with not only the Police Federation, but the police officers as well," Mr. Peart told the House, as he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate yesterday.
"With respect to teachers, we are awaiting the recommendations of the PSRB (Permanent Salaries Review Board) so we can commence serious negotiations with the JTA for an early and amicable settlement," he said.
General Secretary of the Police Federation, Corporal Diane Bartley, confirmed police delegates met the executive of the Federation on Monday and had decided to accept the latest salary package on conditional terms.
"One of the conditions is how the money will be disbursed over the two-year period," Corporal Bartley said.
In addition, while the delegates seemed disposed to accept the package, they insisted the Federation make every effort to seek an improvement on the current offer in ensuing talks with the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
At a mass meeting last Friday at the Elletson Road Police Complex in Kingston, hundreds of rank and file policemen and women rejected the salary package from the Government. They requested an emergency meeting between the delegates and the Federation's executive to further discuss the issue. They also moved a resolution mandating the Federation to seek an improved offer.
Following Monday's meeting between the executive and the delegates, it was disclosed that the delegates had agreed to return to their respective divisions and seek the support of their colleagues for the offer. The Federation represents policemen up to the rank of inspector.
In terms of the teachers' issue, the JTA rejected a proposal from Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Senator Burchell Whiteman, that it allows the Ministry to carry out a reclassification of teachers to determine a new pay scale.
The Minister suggested this was the best route to a settlement but the proposal was shot down by hundreds of delegates attending last month's annual conference of the JTA in Ocho Rios.
The police and teachers are demanding their pay disputes be settled before the next general election.
