Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
A resident of Morgans Lane, St. Andrew, talks with Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mark Shields (left) during a tour of the Grants Pen community yesterday. Also on the tour were church and political representatives who together, condemned last week's killing of seven-year-old Shaneal Raffington on Grants Pen avenue.
Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter
The Police Federation has threatened a three-day islandwide strike on Tuesday following an impasse with Government over negotiations for pay and other fringe benefits. As part of their 24-point claim, the federation has been pressing for a 40-hour work week and a 45 per cent wage increase over the next two years. The federation refused Government's $40,000 one-off payment offer per police officer.
The 45 per cent raise has been rejected by the Ministry of Finance and Planning as
unaffordable, with Finance Minister Omar Davies telling
federation members protesting outside his office in May: "I don't have the money."
MoU irrelevant
The ministry had cited the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with unions representing Government workers. However, the federation has
dismissed the MoU as irrelevant, since it had not signed off
on the terms. Neither is the
federation a trade union as the law forbids police officers from forming unions.
The process has been ongoing since the federation submitted
its claim in January of last year, with negotiations beginning last May. A total of 28 meetings have been held between the two parties up to the federation's press conference earlier this month when Corporal Wilson asked "Is our employer (the
government) serious about
providing security for us and this nation?"
Corporal Wilson had said at the time that further action, "would not necessarily be about any disruption".
Policemen, soldiers, and
special constables are prohibited from striking by the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act (LRIDA) which rules against action, which might imperil national security.
