RGD workers end industrial action

Operations are today expected to return to normal at Registrar General's Department (RGD) offices islandwide as disgruntled employees are to go back to work.

For two days, the workers stayed off the job to protest over salary issues.

They had raised objection over aspects of the government's public sector compensation review.

This week's protest followed similar industrial action by the workers over a week ago.

Their union, the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), said that a meeting was held yesterday with RGD staff, the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, and Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU) where the issues were discussed.

In a statement today, the association said that a new proposed staff alignment was presented, which it deemed satisfactory.

It did not provide details of the arrangement.

The workers had indicated that in November 2022 the finance ministry gave them a 13-band salary scale that was rejected because of "several anomalies".

They responded to the ministry with several recommendations. 

In January, the ministry sent a revised scale to the RGD that increased the salary bands to 14.

Staff were also trained to use the new system. 

However, they allege that a new email came from the ministry indicating that the 14-band upgrade was "an error and we were reverted to a 13-band salary scale". 

This caused them to become restive and to take industrial action.

Arising from the talks, the JCSA said that has indicated its no objection to the finance ministry to allow for pay instructions to be sent to RGD.

It thanked the ministry and the TIU for their cooperation in bringing a resolution to the issue.

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