Police, teacher unions press for more pay despite March 30 deadline
Published:Tuesday | February 28, 2023 | 1:17 AM
The leadership of the Jamaica Police Federation will make another attempt to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service today over the compensation restructuring exercise.
The finance ministry has imposed a March 30 deadline for the balance of public sector workers to ink an accord or face a possible one-year delay in receiving retroactive money.
Finance and the Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke indicated recently that there was no room in the 2023-2024 Budget to accommodate payments to public sector workers who have not signed the compensation agreement before the end of the current financial year.
But on Monday, Corporal Rohan James, president of the Jamaica Police Federation, told The Gleaner that he was not concerned about the announced timeline.
The more than 25,000 member-strong Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) is also continuing negotiations with the finance ministry as it, too, is awaiting an acceptable offer by the Government.
Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions President Helene Davis White said that if the negotiating parties fail to reach a settlement and the matter becomes an industrial dispute, the Ministry of Labour may have to intervene and, if necessary, make a referral to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.
The experienced union negotiator is of the view that none of the two large remaining bargaining units will be softening their positions in the tough dialogue that remains with the ministry.
Davis White recalled that during the 2017-2021 wage negotiations, some bargaining groups did not sign the agreement until the proverbial eleventh hour.
The last offer made by the finance ministry to teachers has been rejected by JTA delegates.
Come next week, the finance minister will open the Budget Debate, at which time he is expected to provide an update on the public sector compensation review.