Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
( L - R ) SIMPSON MILLER and COKE-LLOYD
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
PRIME MINISTER Portia Simpson Miller is opti-mistic that the second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expected to be signed with trade union representatives this week, will help to facilitate an improved public service.
But at least one private sector interest is cautioning the Government and the island's trade unions against using a new MoU to retain unnecessary public sector jobs.
Delivering the keynote address at yesterday's closing session of the Jamaica Employers' Federation's (JEF) 24th annual convention in St. Ann, Prime Minister Simpson Miller also said the new MoU is expected to improve the lives of the public sector employees.
OPTIMAL GAINS
"The Government now stands ready to sign a new Memoran-dum of Understanding with the trade unions on terms of reciprocal benefits," she said. "The Government and the unions have shown that through the MoU of 2004, it can be done."
But while expressing support for the expected MoU, JEF president Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd said careful consideration must be given to ensure that the partnership reaps optimal gains.
"We must have an MoU which is good for the country and not necessarily for the public sector," she told The Gleaner at the federation's convention.
Suggesting that the focus should be on creating new enterprises to facilitate new jobs, Mrs. Coke-Lloyd said it would be unwise to keep retaining jobs that are unnecessary.
At the same time, she said the concept of an MoU is "healthy". "It gives certainly the international and local community some stability, but we must look at what the MoU means in the long term for the country," she said.
SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP
In the meantime, the Prime Minister says she is hoping for an MoU with the Government, trade unions and the private sector to create what she calls a national social partnership.
According to Mrs. Simpson Miller, the benefits would include expansion of enterprises, the creation of more jobs, and increased productivity.
On Friday, representatives of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) met with Minister of Finance Dr. Omar Davies to further discuss proposals for the signing of a second MoU.
Following the meeting JCTU president Senator Dwight Nelson said it was likely that a second MoU could be signed this week.
This development followed earlier rejections, but Senator Nelson said at Friday's meeting, an improvement was made to the additional $1.2 billion the Government had proposed.
The unions and the government have been in discussions for a second MoU for public sector workers since the previous agreement expired on March 30.
