IN JAMAICA: PUBLIC sector workers have been offered a new pay increase deal of seven per cent for the 2015-2017 fiscal period....Government increases pay offer to employees

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, June 05, 2015    

PUBLIC sector workers have been offered a new pay increase deal of seven per cent for the 2015-2017 fiscal period.

The new offer breaks down to a four per cent increase effective from April 1, 2015, and a further three per cent increase effective April 1, 2016. This arrangement is up from the original offer of three per cent and two per cent which was made in March and was rejected by the workers.

(L-R) DALLEY... optimistic offer will lead to a settlement.
DIXON... JTA will meet with teachers for their response.
BROWN... where there is a will there is a way

Minister with responsibility for the public service, Horace Dalley, told the Jamaica Observer last night he is optimistic that the offer will lead to a settlement of the prolonged public sector wage issue by the latest month-end.

"We have never had much of a problem with the fringe benefits, because some are not aligned with the wage costs. The problem has always been the basic pay, and we want to ensure that anything we offer we will be able to pay it and we don't go beyond the limit that will ensure that we meet the nine per cent of GDP target," the minister said.

The offer is a small step from the rejected five per cent, but the trade unions leaders feel that they have something substantive to put to their members.

Trade unionist, Lambert Brown, who is a member of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union's (JCTU) negotiating team, said that the new offer from the minister confirmed his position that where there is a will there is a way.

"We can always find appropriate ways to resolve these issues," Brown said.

But, other union representatives were more cautious, pointing out that they were not sure how their members would respond.

President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Doran Dixon, said that there will be meetings in Clarendon, Manchester, St Catherine, and Kingston to relay the new offers to the teachers and get their response.

Several meetings are also planned by the JCTU team, which represents 11 trade unions and over 40,000 government workers.

The increased offer has emerged in the midst of protest action by the members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, which began on Tuesday, and widespread two-hour demonstrations by teachers on the job. more