Gov’t and JCSA Sign Agreement for Certain Benefits

The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) and the Government have signed for certain fringe benefits peculiar to central government workers, under a Heads of Agreement for the contract period 2015/2017.

The signing took place at the offices of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service in Kingston, on August 24.

Among the benefits are grants from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to assist public-sector workers with tertiary education; the establishment of a government workplace policy; and transportation for public-sector workers utilising the government employees transport service, among others.

President of the JCSA, O’Neil Grant, said the signing “for peculiar items” was done on behalf of persons in central ministries, departments and agencies of Government that would not have been extended to the wider public sector.

Mr. Grant indicated that other benefits would have been negotiated under the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) banner last year.

He noted that the JCSA is in the process of examining another set of claims from persons who work in statutory organisations and executive agencies.

“They all have peculiar benefits that are not generally administered centrally, and so we have to go through these incremental negotiations with the executive agencies and the Ministry of Finance for those agencies that have benefits that are not synonymous with what is in the central civil service,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State with responsibility for the Public Service, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, said he intends to have a speedy resolution to the upcoming rounds of negotiation.

He emphasised that in those negotiations, the Government will only be able to pay what it can afford.

The State Minister lauded the JCSA for its tolerance and understanding of the issues.