Minister of Finance and the Public Service meets with Police Groups

Minister of Finance and the Public Service – the Honourable Audley Shaw, along with Minister of National Security – Senator the Honourable Dwight Nelson, Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Honourable Pearnel Charles and Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator the Honourable Arthur Williams, met with the chairmen of the following Associations: Assistant Commandant Calvin Allen – ISCF Officers’ Association, Superintendent Michael James – Jamaica Police Officer’s Association, Sergeant Raymond Wilson – Jamaica Police Federation, Mr. St. George Jackson – Special Constabulary Force Association and Mr. Delroy Davis – United District Constables Association along with other members of their Associations.
During the meeting, Minister Shaw assured the groups of the following: All outstanding retroactive payments for FY 2008/2009 that are due to public sector workers, including the security forces will be settled by the end of June this year.ii) The Government will honour tax free allowances to the security forces in accordance with the MOU3.
In addition Minister Shaw advised the groups that the wage freeze on the 7% due in year two of the MOU 3 will remain in force for the security forces in line with the wage freeze across the entire public sector, which includes Central Government and all its statutory bodies.
Mr. Shaw reminded the leaders of the Police Associations that the Government had experienced a significant shortfall in revenue last year; a situation which will be even worse this year as a result of the global economic crisis and the resulting significant fallout in revenue in Jamaica.
Minister Shaw assured the chairmen and delegations of the five groups present at the meeting, of the Government’s willingness to do all it can to improve the working conditions of members of the security forces and asked for their understanding and co-operation in accepting the wage freeze, as this would help Jamaica to ride out the difficult economic times the country is facing.