Robinson urges swift resolution of vexed compensation-review issues
WITH A planned meeting between the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and finance and the public sector Minister Dr Nigel Clarke set for this Saturday to discuss anomalies in the compensation-review exercise, Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson is urging the Government to move swiftly to resolve the issues that have caused heightened restiveness across state agencies.
In his contribution to the 2024-2025 Budget Debate in Parliament yesterday, Robinson said one of the most vexed issues in the restructuring of public-sector compensation relates to travelling officers.
Robinson said that prior to the compensation review, travelling officers received allowances up to 60 per cent of their total compensation in allowances.
However, he pointed out that since the compensation review, those allowances have been rolled into their gross salary and are now taxed, in many cases, at a higher tax rate than before. This, he said, has resulted in some workers taking home either the same net pay, or a little higher than they had before.
Citing a specific example, Robinson said that a travelling officer at a ministry indicated that his net salary was only $6,000 per month more than he was getting before the review.
“If you factor in the increases in the cost of living, then he is actually worse off with the compensation review than he was before,” Robinson said, adding that there are many other travelling officers in a similar position.
Another issue highlighted by Robinson is one in which subordinates are paid more than their supervisors.
He also said that while the Government has acknowledged the plight of contract workers in the public sector by committing to provide permanent employment to them, the process was moving too slowly, which is causing frustration and anger among this category of personnel.
“I get the calls from workers from all levels, and believe me, the disquiet is real. But I also pick up something, and it’s a sense of hurt and betrayal. They feel disrespected,” he said.
Robinson said that the unions representing public-sector workers have complained that the Ministry of Finance does not respond to issues in a timely manner.
On March 1, the JCTU issued a 10-day ultimatum to Clarke to meet with the group to settle outstanding matters under the compensation-review exercise, failing which a government shutdown could be imminent.
Since the issuing of the ultimatum by the JCTU, Clarke has pledged to meet with the confederation on March 16.
“I am urging the minister, deal with the issues that have been raised, not just by the JCTU, but by other restive groups,” Robinson said.