Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Nigel Clarke, says based on the progress made with the Jamaica Civil Service Association, JCSA, industrial action at this time would be an unnecessary escalation.
The JCSA on the weekend signalled that its members would strike if their outstanding issues under the compensation review exercise were not settled.
Eleven unions under the umbrella of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions wrote to the minister of finance last Friday, demanding a meeting to discuss the outstanding items, within the next ten days.
Mahiri Stewart reports.
The government has implemented the agreed salary adjustments under the compensation review exercise with the JCSA.
However, since then, the government has been in discussion with the union on certain work conditions and benefits.
According to Dr. Clarke, with an agreement reached on most of the benefit-related issues, any disruption at this time would be an unnecessary escalation.
The finance minister says the government has increased public sector compensation by a combined amount of just under $200 billion between fiscal years 2021/2022 and 2024/2025.
He says to accomplish this increase meant that the government had to postpone other programme expenditures to accommodate the settled salary adjustments.
Dr. Clarke contends that the government cannot allocate resources based on who shouts the loudest.
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