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En JAMAICA | Gov't signs wage accord with Teachers, Police, Port Security Corps.
JAMAICA | Gov't signs wage accord with Teachers, Police, Port Security Corps.
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 - The Government of Jamaica and the Jamaica Police Federation have concluded negotiations and have signed, at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service a new 12-month Heads of Agreement, for a wage increase on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
The Federation accepted the latest offer of the Government for the contract period April 2021 to March 2022 on behalf of rank and file police personnel. Payments arising from the 4% agreement will be made by the end of March 2022.
During the signing ceremony today, Finance Minister Nigel Clarke, said : “Today is a good day, it is significant because today we sign the Heads of Agreement for the 2021/2022 bargaining period with the Jamaica Police Federation and with this signing it brings it to approximately 98%, the number of government employees who are now covered by wage agreements.”
Minister Clarke lauded members of the police force for their contribution to national security saying, “The brave men and women who constitute the Jamaica Constabulary Force are on the frontline dealing with the most complex of matters that affects all Jamaicans. I use this opportunity to salute the brave men and women of the constabulary force. The Government of Jamaica places their issues, and their welfare at the centre of our consideration.”
Minister Clarke also gave them reassurance that they will be properly compensated under the Public Sector Compensation Restructuring.
“We thank you for the leadership the federation has shown and for the leadership members of the constabulary force has shown in coming to an agreement around this fiscal year, in light of the circumstances that we face in Jamaica. They can have every confidence that what we have discussed regarding the compensation restructuring, that is what we will be implementing.”
Corporal Rohan James, Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation told Minister Clarke that the federation will be holding the Government accountable when the compensation review process begins.
“We are now in dialogue with the Minister of Finance and the Public Service as per your mandate. The Central Committee will continue to be transparent and professional as we seek to represent our membership,” the federation noted in a media release.
In previous months, the union, which represents rank and file members of the constabulary force, fought bitterly over the issue of overtime pay, with threats of industrial action.
Today’s signing represents over 98% of public sector employees that have accepted the Government’s wage increase.
On Monday, Chairman of the Jamaica Teachers Association, Winston Smith, signed a a 12-month Heads of Agreement (for the contract period April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022), with the Ministry of Finance, which offers incentives including a $40,000 one-time payment and a commitment to full retroactive payment on the four per cent increase, to the more than 20,000 teachers in primary and secondary educational institutions.
Speaking at Monday's signing with the teachers, the finance minister confirmed that the interim agreement will be implemented in March. Dr. Clarke said the Administration “is pleased that we have been able to reach an accommodation with the JTA. It is with the understanding that we are in a pandemic, and we plan in the next fiscal year, to begin the implementation of the restructuring of public-sector compensation,” he pointed out.
The compensation review is intended to overhaul the structure of salaries and other emoluments in the public service to make them more equitable.
Dr. Clarke noted that Jamaica is one of the few countries in this region that offered increases in both 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic.
“There are many countries in our region where they had difficulty even paying current bills, let alone offering increases. So, we have to be thankful for that, as well,” he noted.
The Finance Minister said he is committed to working with the JTA “over the upcoming [financial] year on the restructuring of public-sector compensation in a way that inures to the benefit of teachers today and in the future”.
JTA President, Winston Smith, said that the teachers will always put the interest of the country at the forefront. He noted that teachers “must exist within the economic framework within which a country operates, and therefore, we are expecting that as we move beyond this point that our discussions and compensation will be more aligned with what the fiscal reality of the country is, as it relates to our salary and inflation rates”.
“All that is outstanding related to this agreement, all the payments will be made in March of 2022 to all teachers,” Dr Clarke assured the JTA team which comprised President Winston Smith, General Secretary Dr Mark Nicely, and President-elect Lasonja Harrison, principal of St Faith's Primary School in St Catherine.
The Government's offer is expected to introduce a long-delayed compensation reform package for the entire public sector, beginning in April. The agreement includes a new three-year labour contract covering more than 100,000 public servants — which was delayed due to the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the workers — as well as the implementation of the compensation reforms which should start in April.
In the meantime, The National Workers Union is recalling the Strike Notice for Industrial Action relating to Port Security Workers. This comes after meetings, today, with the Minister of Transport and Mining, Audley Shaw and with personnel at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
NWU Island Supervisor, Khurt Fletcher notes that “we arrived at a suitable position detailing how the remaining issues are to be resolved going forward”. Additionally, the announcement today, by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, of an increase in Minimum Wages for security personnel to $10,500, will have a direct impact on port security workers," Fletcher said.
He noted that the NWU is now willing to work with the Minister of Transport and Mining to deal with the other vexing and long standing issues, including matters related to staffing.
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