Government will be busy this week as it is slated to continue three major wage negotiations with public sector workers.
The groups are the island's nurses, doctors and the police.
Executive members of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) will return to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security tomorrow, having again failed to reach an agreement with the Government on current wage negotiations.
The association had returned to the Labour Ministry on Friday after they also failed to reach an agreement with the Government following more than eight hours of negotiations on Thursday.
According to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Labour, the situation was the same with the talks concluding around 9:00 on Friday night.
Two-day sick-out
The nurses and the Government have been at loggerheads over current wage negotiations with the nurses resorting to a two-day sick-out just over a week ago, to press the Government for improved wages.
The NAJ is demanding an 80 per cent pay increase in the first year and 40 per cent in the second year.
The Government is, however, offering 22 per cent over the two years for Level Three and up nurses and 24 per cent for Level One and Two nurses.
Meanwhile, the doctors are to meet with the Government on Wednesday. According to Dr. Myrton Smith, president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA), if the Government fails to put an improved offer on the table, there will be disruption in the health sector.
The Government had offered the medical doctors 12 per cent in year one and eight per cent in year two, but the membership of the JMDA unanimously rejected the offer last month. The JMDA is asking for 51 per cent in year one and 24 per cent in year two.
The executive of the Police Federation will be meeting with the Government on Friday when it is expected that the Government will come to the table with a counter offer.
The federation has been in salary negotiations with the Government for the past seven months. Recently, its rank and file members staged sick-outs to press their demand for better salaries.
41-point proposal
The federation has presented a 41-point proposal to the Government. The police are seeking a salary increase of 45 per cent in the first year and 30 per cent in the second of a two-year contract.
In relation to teachers, Senator Colin Campbell, Minister of Information and Development, said negotiations should be completed by the time the teachers meet for the Jamaica Teachers Association's annual conference later this month.
