Police say yes to Government’s wage offer

Months of arduous negotiations and at times hard-line positions taken by both the Government and unions representing public-sector workers have finally ended with the Police Federation accepting the administration’s offer to settle the seven per cent wage issue.

This now paves the way for the signing of the heads of agreement later this week to facilitate the implementation of a payout plan to public-sector workers beginning in September.

The administration had proposed implementing the outstanding seven per cent increase in September, with one month’s retroactive pay for the current financial year being made at that time, and the remaining five months being paid in December.

Further, the Government had also proposed to pay the outstanding two years of retroactive salaries over three years in five tranches, starting in 2012, or in three tranches over three years starting 2012.

Had rejected schedule

The Police Federation, which was the last negotiating body to come on-board, had insisted that it would have extensive consultations with its membership before submitting a written response to Government.

The federation had rejected the payment schedule for retroactive sums.

However, the federation has not provided a reason for embracing the offer it had earlier turned down.

Efforts to contact chairman of the Police Federation, Sergeant Raymond Wilson, yesterday for a comment were unsuccessful as he was said to be in a meeting.

Senator Arthur Williams, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with special responsibility for the public service, said yesterday that the federation had formally accepted the Government’s offer.

All groups accepted

Three other groups – the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, and the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association – had said they would not ink the deal until the federation accepted the offer.

“This now means that all public-sector groups have accepted the Government’s offer to settle the outstanding wage issue,” said Williams in a news release.

He thanked public-sector workers for their patience and understanding of the difficulties which faced the country and which delayed the implementation of the wage increase.

The newly appointed minister requested the continued cooperation of public-sector workers as the Government moves to implement the recommendations of the Public Sector Transformation Unit and to agree on other public-sector reform issues which are of critical importance to the country’s continued relationship with the International Monetary Fund.

Source: The Gleaner