Rank-and-File Police Seek Clarity on Outstanding Payments

Rank-and-File Police Seek Clarity on Outstanding Payments. Rank-and-file Police Officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force are reportedly becoming restive lately. This is due to the government’s protracted delay in implementing outstanding items under the current compensation package.
 
An overwhelming number of delegates agreed to a one-off payment to rank-and-file police officers, which the Ministry of Finance proposed. But, the authorities still need to decide on a payment date.
 
Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation, Sergeant Arleen McBean, says that when the Federation accepted the offer, delegates requested that the one-off payment be made by October 31, 2024. But the officers have been waiting in Lala land for a definitive timeline.
 
Sergeant McBean indicated that she has written to the newly minted finance minister, Fayval Williams, seeking clarity.
 
McBean said the Minister had responded and promised communication with a new date would be forthcoming via a representative.

She said the Federation will have an island-wide meeting of all delegates, where she will update them appropriately.

Following discussions with delegates, McBean said the Federation would communicate with the Minister and the commissioner to advise what is happening.

She said rank-and-file police officers are pretty uncomfortable.  

“This money was due from the first year of the contractual period, and the contract period under that compensation review is 2022-2025. And we have been asking for that added hours money for some time now,” McBean lamented.

Sergeant Arleen McBean, Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation

She said it is shameful and unacceptable that the guardians of national security had to beg to get what is rightfully theirs.  

 Sergeant McBean said the rank-and-file police officers have been patient, but their patience is waning. 

 She indicated that other longstanding issues need to get settled under the compensation review, for which there has been no update.

Rank-and-File Officers Are Also Concerned about Other Outstanding Issues

“I’m hoping the new Minister of Finance will settle the concerns of rank-and-file members. The authorities should have settled those pressing issues before. But, they are low-hanging fruits. Let’s see how quickly we can move them out of the way,” she said. 

Sergeant Arleen McBean, Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation

Further, Sergeant McBean said delegates will discuss the upcoming negotiating period during the planned meeting.

“We have also received a document from the Finance Ministry inviting a proposal. A proposal is not an issue for us to put together. In our meeting with our membership, we will look at some deeper consultation for them to have that level of understanding, and there will be a high level of inclusion to put that proposal together and send it to the government. But you can’t ask for a proposal when there is a failure to pay us what you owe us,” she stressed.  

Sergeant Arleen McBean, Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation