Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) said yesterday that it would enter a second memorandum of understanding (MoU) for public sector workers despite its disappointment with the Government's position against exceeding a 20 per cent increase in its wage bill.
The decision to enter into a second MoU was made yesterday during a meeting of senior trade union leaders.
Danny Roberts, vice-president of the JCTU, told The Gleaner that a critical element of the negotiation would be wage and salary benefits to public sector workers.
He said that a decision was taken that the JCTU, along with representatives from other trade unions, are to meet next Friday morning to discuss and develop an appropriate response to the Government's wage proposal before the meeting with the ministry.
The confederation had indicated earlier this year that it would not accept less than a double-digit increase.
"In order to restore the purchasing power (of civil servants) over the last two years, the increase will have to be about 30 per cent," said JCTU president Senator Dwight Nelson in a previous interview with The Gleaner.
A NUMBER OF NEW MEASURES
Yesterday, Mr. Roberts said the JCTU had also endorsed a number of new measures to be included in the MoU which will feature a new system to ensure
effective tax compliance.
He said there are also plans to have the summer training programme expanded with the boosting of additional funds, the establishment of a tertiary education assistance programme with access to joint funding and the facilitation of greater access to ownership of shelter by public sector workers.
He said the JCTU was urging member unions to begin discussion at the various workplaces on the contents of the proposed MoU, as well as the basic principles governing the agreement, as part of its effort to strengthen the consultation and dialogue among its membership.
The previous MoU, which was signed in 2004 with the JCTU, expired last month. The agreement, among other things, restricted wage increases for some 88,000 public sector workers.
