Court proceedings and security operations across the island were severely hampered yesterday as hundreds of rank-and-file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) again stayed off the job to press for an improved wage offer from Government.

A seven-hour meeting yesterday between Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, and executive members of the Police Federation failed to resolve the stand-off as the police remained on a sick-out.

Corporal Raymond Wilson, chairman of the Police Federation, told The Gleaner last night that the meeting would resume today at 2:30 p.m.

He refused to say whether police would continue their protest action.

"The only thing I can say is that this meeting will continue at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow (today)."

But a police source told The Gleaner that they were still dissatisfied and would continue their protest.

On Monday, delegates of the Police Federation voted to take "positive action" to force the Government to settle wage negotiations with them. The Government has refused to improve on its 17.5 per cent wage offer over the next two years. The police, however, want a 75 per cent increase.

Yesterday, reports from across the island showed that more police personnel had called in sick, with the western end of the island the worst affected.

More than 100 police personnel in the St. James Division reported sick, prompting the suspension of court proceedings for the second consecutive day.

Jamaica Defence Force soldiers were deployed in the crime hotspots of Norwood and Glendevon.

"A significant percentage of our staff is on sick leave so normal duties have been affected," said Deputy Superintendent Dermot Lawrence of the Hanover Police Division.

No police presence

Over in Westmoreland, there was no police presence on the streets and telephone calls to most police stations were unanswered.

Policing activities were significantly hampered in the St. Elizabeth Police Division which, ironically, reported that it was not adversely affected by the sick-out on Tuesday. The majority of the 11 stations in the parish had to be manned by Island Special Constabulary Force officers.

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding has in the meantime called on Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to immediately intervene in the wage dispute.