KINGSTON, Jamaica, The Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) says it intends to renegotiate the wage deal signed with the government, despite discontent being expressed by some unions under the umbrella of the confederation.
“Most of my members are overjoyed with what they have received. So some may want a renegotiation. Still, the vast majority are happy with what they have gotten,” JCTU President, Helene Davis Whyte, told Radio Jamaica News (RJN), noting that members who have expressed reservations about the new wage package are primarily traveling officers.
Earlier, the general secretary of the National Workers Union (NWU), Granville Valentine, called for a re-examination of the compensation package for public sector workers that took effect in December last year.
Valentine said several workers and agencies have yet to have their salaries adequately adjusted, and many still do not understand the government’s calculation method.
He also said there is still no word on what will pertain as it relates to the 60 percent of government workers on contract, adding that there is “no established salary scale” for employees at several executive agencies.
“When are we going to reach them? It can’t be that we start in a rush to leave out such a large portion of (workers). So with all the good intentions, I believe we needed more time. We shouldn’t be looking at implementing [the new compensation scheme] until about March,” he added.
Last November, the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MOFPS) said it had reached an agreement with several major public sector trade unions, including a majority of the blocks in the JCTU, on the new, restructured public sector compensation system.
Finance and Public Service Minister, Dr. Nigel Clarke, described the agreement then as a significant development given the four years of work that has gone into designing the new compensation system and the extensive consultation period with unions.
“We set out on this journey in 2018, and we would not be here without the partnership with the unions who agreed to a four-year wage deal that allowed this work to commence. We engaged consultants and shared the results with our union partners,” he said.
The authorities said the new compensation system will be implemented over three years with an effective date of 1 April 2022 and will cost approximately J$120 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents).
But the NWU general secretary said the government and unions should head back to the negotiating table to get a better deal for public sector workers to ensure that no one will be worse off.
But the JCTU president insists her members are satisfied with the agreement, telling radio listeners, “people call me and tell me they never expected to get so much.”
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