Danny Roberts

THE JOINT Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to discuss issues affecting the labour sector, including its approach to public sector reform.

Danny Roberts, spokesman for the JCTU, told The Gleaner yesterday they were awaiting a date for the meeting with Mr. Patterson, to discuss three main issues: the setting up of a productivity centre to co-ordinate production objectives; labour market reform, including amendments to labour legislation; and, public sector reform.

Although the request was made some two weeks ago, the unions have not yet received an appointment, but Mr. Roberts says he expects it to be anytime now.

In the meantime, the JCTU has mandated a meeting scheduled for Wednesday at its Hope Boulevard offices, St. Andrew, of all its member-unions representing public sector workers, to discuss issues affecting their members in order to formulate a joint submission to the Prime Minister.

They will also be discussing the question of a new labour agreement for public sector workers whose last agreement expired on March 31. The workers are expecting Government's response to a PriceWaterhouse-Coopers report on their request to be paid at least 80 per cent of similar rates paid in the private sector.

Mr. Roberts said the request for the meeting with Mr. Patterson had been made even before the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) petitioned the JCTU last week for support in their dispute with the Government.

The civil servants are angry with the Government over what they say is being locked out of the decision-making on the public sector reforms. Also, they are concerned about the consequential lay-offs which, they say, are in contravention of an understanding in their last agreement for no lay-offs to be implemented because of budget decisions.

Eddie Bailey, president of the JCSA, complained last week that the Government was leaving the association and the civil servants in the dark about reform plans until the last minute. "They say nothing to us up-front, we have no statistics, nothing to go by and they are continuing although we have pointed out that the country will not save anything from this policy."

Mr. Roberts said the JCTU unions were concerned about any reform programme which did not include all the players' critical components.

Prime Minister Patterson tabled in the House of Representatives last week, ministry papers Nos. 39 and 40, providing information on the reform programme and the performance of the first four government departments formed into executive agencies -- the Office of the Registrar of Companies, the Administrator General's Department, the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) and the Registrar General's Department.

Executive agencies are required to become profitable.

Ministry paper No. 39 said that effective April 1, 2000, three more entities have entered into transition to executive agencies. These are the National Land Agency (NLA), the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

The NLA will be a merger of the Titles Office, Land Valuation and Survey departments.

NEPA will be made up of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, Land Development and Utilisation Commission and the Town Planning Department.

The JIS has retained its name after merging with JAMPRESS, the government news agency.

Legislation is being completed to formalise the creation of the National Works Agency as an executive agency as well.

The Jamaica Customs Department will also begin similar implementation actives leading to a modernisation of customs.