Federation head labels Government as modern-day enslavers
Published:Wednesday | May 4, 2022 | 12:06 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Jamaican Police Federation Chairman Corporal Rohan James has urged his colleagues not be disheartened in carrying out their sworn duties to pursue criminals – “whether they are in Parliament or otherwise” – even as he labelled the Government as being “modern-day enslavers”.
James launched his latest broadside against the Government last Thursday as he addressed the Trelawny Divisional Conference at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium.
“The Government are modern-day enslavers. They have breached arrangements and widened the trust deficit. This is related to the Police Federation having to go to court on the issue of non-payment of overtime pay,” James, who was the guest speaker, told his colleagues.
In February 2022, the federation signed an agreement to accept a four per cent increase in salary for the contract year April 2021 to March 2022 after a protracted negotiation period. That contract saw an agreement being arrived at on 16 of 53 proposed benefits brought to the negotiating table.
Rank-and-file cops are also locked in a court battle with the Government over unpaid overtime wages, which the federation says goes as far back as 2008, totalling billions of dollars.
Efforts to reach an out-of-court settlement late last year collapsed with the matter going to trial earlier this month.
The Supreme Court is to hand down its verdict on June 3.
“The Government has seen it fit to go to trial, notwithstanding they have admitted to us that they themselves have breached arrangements in the form of the contract that we signed, and instead of taking humility and humanity and accept and submit and to accede and pay due regard for the benevolence that the members have served this country – not only with blood, sweat, and tears, but with lives – they have sought to go to the court and engage in a full trial. And now we await a judgment on the third of June,” he said.
SALARY NEGOTIATIONS
On Thursday, James also rubbished claims that his stance was political, adding that the latest round of negotiations have got off to a bad start.
“We had a meeting last Wednesday to discuss salary negotiations for contract year April 2022 to March 2023. The figure they put to us is disrespectful, despicable, distasteful and downright shameful. It has been withdrawn, so I will not disclose the figure because the negotiations are ongoing,” he said.
James revealed that the issues to be decided on “include a final decision on the 40-hour work week, pension reform and the underfunded health coverage. I will report to you when we meet at conference in this parish on May 17th”.
He cautioned that if the Government is not willing to pay cops for going beyond their 40 hours per week, the cops would only be putting in the hours in line with their compensation.
“Go after the criminals, whether they are in Parliament or otherwise. They have failed to supply the basic needs, but serve in the interest of the people,” he urged to loud applause.