‘Mass confusion’

The O’Neil Grant-led Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) is facing criticism from Jamaica Customs Agency employees who have described the wage deal signed under the public-sector compensation review as a ball of “mass confusion”.

The workers, who are exclusively represented by the JCSA, have argued that they are in the dark about the terms of agreement under the restructuring exercise.

Attempts by The Gleaner to reach Grant for comment have been unsuccessful, as he did not respond to telephone calls or messages on Tuesday.

The workers, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, have said that there is restiveness among staff as the December 20 payday for government workers draws near.

They reported that the salary scale sent to the agency from the finance ministry is not in sync with what obtains with the organisation’s payroll.

“So, the ministry sent us the different salary levels that have been agreed on without the requisite instruction about how it is we should calculate and transition the current levels into that new level,” one union member said in an interview on Tuesday.

“One school of thought that they have given us is a literal transition. So, if you’re Level Four, you’re supposed to find Level Four on the scale and literally transition there,” the worker added.

But according to the employees, the instructions are problematic because their salaries were already reclassified in 2012.

“So, our salaries, even though it’s the executive agency’s benchmark against central government’s, you’ll have, for example, a Level Eight in our current structure being equivalent to an SEG 6 in the regular public service.

“What is happening now with the compensation review based on what they are trying to tell us is that your SEG 6, based on salary level, would now come down to an SEG 4. And so all the levels at Customs, based on how they are dealing with the salary reclassification would be falling one or two levels below what we are currently at,” another employee explained.

The workers want a meeting with the union to settle the matter, which has had a ripple effect of anxiety in the public sector.

“Come and meet with us. Let us understand what you have agreed to. Let us understand the process. We think there is mass confusion because a lot of the people who have made the decisions cannot, themselves, explain them,” the worker added.

There has also been mounting tension in the public sector over a finance ministry circular that suggested to workers that there would be a clawback of allowances paid between April and November.

The JCSA, in a statement issued on Monday, indicated that there will be no repayment and that there will be a 2.5 percentage-point increase to the guaranteed 17.5 per cent on net total compensation.

But the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) on Tuesday accused the Government of being contradictory in its communication to workers about the review process.

Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson said this has caused “great anxiety” across the public service and further widens the trust deficit.

“The clawing back of these allowances will represent a significant loss of anticipated income for many workers, especially travelling officers. In some cases, the anticipated retroactive payment may be completely eroded, leaving some civil servants in a deficit,” the legislator said.

The Government has said that all workers will be better off in the rationalisation of more than 100 allowance scales deemed inefficient and cumbersome.

Robinson said that there must be full transparency and disclosure of all the terms and conditions of the new compensation review package.

“The Opposition will work to ensure that our workers, who are the backbone of our society, are given their due and not economically disadvantaged by this uncaring Government.”

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com