Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips (left), discusses Wednesday's attack on the Cross Roads Police Station with Inspector Charley Lewis. Gunmen sprayed the police station with bullets killing, 63-year-old District Constable Canute Brown. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MORE THAN six thousand rank-and-file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are planning to stage an all-night vigil on Sunday in downtown Kingston to protest the Government's refusal to grant them a salary increase.
The JCF members said on Wednesday that the vigil will also serve as a mark of respect for their three fallen comrades, who were killed by gunmen in separate incidents between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
SEVEN-DAY ULTIMATUM
Speaking with The Gleaner earlier this week, a member of the federated ranks said the initial decision to stage the vigil arose out of a delegates' conference held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston last Friday.
Following the conference, the executive of the Police Federation gave the Ministry of Finance a seven-day ultimatum in which to settle their salary negotiation. The ultimatum ends on Sunday.
Since last May, executive members of the Police Federation and Ministry of Finance officials have been negotiating a 24-point salary package claim.
Earlier this year, the federation had demanded that the Government conclude the wage-and-fringe benefits negotiations.
At one stage, the federation warned that if there was no amicable agreement, it would call a mass meeting with its delegates to determine its next course of action.
NOT PART OF PACT
The Government has maintained that it cannot grant any salary increase above three per cent based on the Memorandum of Understanding achieved (MoU) with unions representing public sector employees.
But the federation has
repeatedly said it was not a part of that wage restraint pact.
The federation has also been calling for the implementation of a 40-hour work week. It wants this to be implemented a month after the organisation's annual general meeting which begins this month.
