Friday, July 24, 2015

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com

State Minister in the Ministry of Finance Horace Dalley

An agreement between the Government and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) on a $4,000 per month pay increase over 2015/2016 is expected by the end of next week.

This follows a meeting between minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning Horace Dalley, and the 11 trade unions bargaining for improved pay and working conditions for public sector workers under the umbrella of the JCTU, on Wednesday.

Dalley, who is responsible for public sector issues in the Cabinet, made a formal offer of $4,000 per month over the two years that a new Heads of Agreement is expected to last, when he met the unions on Wednesday at his ministry. Sources say that the minister had raised the issue informally with the unions prior to the meeting, and had received a positive response.

However, they agreed that he would send them a draft agreement for the 2015/2017 contract this week. The unions are expected to respond in time for a settlement of the issues and, possibly, the signing of an agreement by July 31.

The Jamaica Observer was told that the cash offer over the two years, instead of the seven per cent which has been rejected by all the public sector units, has made the package an easier sell for the unions. However, the offer has only been made to the JCTU member unions so far.

Speculation is rife that the Government believes that if the unions that comprise the JCTU — which represent the bulk of the public workers — agree, the other bodies will have no choice but to fall in line, as the agreement would include a clause stating that an increase to any other group above what has been offered to these unions would breach their contract.

Senior vice-president of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) Wesley Nelson told the Observer yesterday that his union is reluctant to sign an agreement, without an assurance from the Government that profitable public bodies would be allowed to bargain on the basis of their ability to pay, instead of having to accept the limitations of the Government’s offer.

The BITU has been insisting for several years that employees of the profitable public bodies should not be restrained from bargaining for bigger increases, based on their employer’s ability to pay. But the proposal has been ignored over the years by the finance ministry.

The minister has not yet made the offer to professional groups, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, and the police, and there is no indication whether it would be acceptable to them.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Public-sector-agreement-likely-by-next-weekend_19220401