Unions want Gov’t to review public sector wage structure

The Jamaica Civil Service Association says it plans to ask the government to re-examine the wage structure for some of its members, who are now below the minimum wage threshold.

The president of the union, O’neil Grant, said this is just one of the items on the wage claim for the 2012 to 2014 negotiating period.

Grant said the pillar of his union’s proposal is the improvement of working conditions for its members.

According to the union president, public sector employee wages are about 70 per cent lower than their private sector counterparts.

He said this is why it’s critical that certain issues be addressed.

Grant said the association will be fine-tuning its proposal this week to send off to the Ministry of Finance.

The government needs the union’s wage claims ahead of its talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Minister of Finance said it is one of the critical components to securing a deal.

A team from the multilateral lending agency is slated to visit the island later this month to continue talks with the government.

The government is hoping to get a deal with the IMF before the end of the year.

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