‘That’s in the Budget’
• Williams highlights new pay rates, back pay for specified groups in $496-billion allocation for public sector compensation• Unions want definitive word on outstanding matters before negotiations begin
Published:Wednesday | March 12, 2025 | 12:10 AMErica Virtue/ Senior Gleaner Writer
The Government has allocated $496 billion for compensation to workers in the public sector but at least one group is expecting retroactive payments by the end of April since their demands aren’t expected to be met, as they had wanted, by the end of this month.
Finance Minister Fayval Williams, in opening the 2025-2026 Budget Debate on Tuesday, disclosed that $495.8 billion has been allocated, from the $1.26-trillion Budget announced last month, towards compensation for government employees.
Williams, in her maiden Budget Debate presentation, said it includes new rates of pay for medical consultants, dental surgeons, parish court judges and probation/aftercare officers; back pay for medical consultants and parish court judges; an allocation to support the employment of agricultural wardens; $1 billion to support continuation of the Jamaica National Service Corps; and a compensation contingency provision of $33 billion to meet the cost of public sector wage settlements including a provision of $3 billion to support the filling of vacant technical positions in regional health authorities.
“That’s in the Budget,” the minister declared.
Williams said her ministry has received 11 claims from various public sector unions including the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA); Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU); Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA); Police Officers’ Association (POA), and groups within the health sector.
She also said outstanding issues related to the University of Technology were also addressed in the Budget.
“Obviously Madam Speaker, I can’t list every single thing that is in the Budget but to say to UTech, ‘You are in the Budget’,” she said.
“The Government has commenced discussions with the unions/associations for the new contract period. The continued engagement of all stakeholders remains key to the maintenance of harmony in the public sector,” Williams said.
St Patrice Ennis, president of the 11-union strong JCTU, said there are several outstanding issues going into negotiations for the 2025-2026 year.
OUTSTANDING MATTER
“I can tell you that one of the outstanding matters for example is uniform. One of the things the Government didn’t do, that was agreed upon, is that they had consultation with the trade union before they send out their circulars. The circulars from the Government are actually the official way they implement policies, by way of circulars issued from the Ministry of Finance,” Ennis told The Gleaner last night.
“We had an agreement with this minister’s predecessor, Dr Nigel Clarke, that prior to the issuance or dissemination of circulars, they would at least consult with us to make sure that what we agreed upon is reflected in the actual circular document. That was not done, and consequently, they have issued this policy document that does not align with our agreement. Essentially, they agreed with us but when the policy documents, when the circulars came out, the figures did not match,” he said.
“Outstanding uniform allowance, although they are [at] variance in terms of what we agreed upon, those monies have not been paid, their own revised figures; overtime allowance and travelling,” he stated.
Yesterday The Gleaner was told that the Association of Government Medical Consultants took the best offer available to them to receive payment for the outstanding sums to be paid in April. The body had rejected the offer to be paid between April and June.
“They (the finance ministry) said they couldn’t commit to pay before the final reading of the Budget on March 25. Best they would agree is to do their best to pay by the end of April,” said a source in the association yesterday.
The retroactive sums cover the period April 2022 to December 2024, arising from the compensation review. The association said the delay was an unjust treatment to its members and wanted the finance ministry to pay within this fiscal year, which ends in March 31.
JTA President Dr Mark Smith said that among the outstanding issues going into the current negotiations was the non-payment of graduate allowance and retroactive travelling allowance.
“In addition to the graduate allowance, the issue of paying retroactive travelling based on the revised rate of $100 per kilometre as agreed [is outstanding],” Smith said following Williams’ presentation. “Also, the outstanding matter of increments to be settled.”
The JTA has expressed displeasure at the lack of payment of the retroactive mileage allowances for teachers for the period April 1, 2022 to November 30, 2022.