Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) is seeking an additional $4 billion in the first year of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for public sector workers, and an across the board increase of 10 per cent in the second year.
JCTU Vice-President Danny Roberts yesterday evening announced the decision taken at a meeting with directors of the confederation earlier in the day.
The counter proposal came days after the JCTU flatly refused a 20 per cent increase over the two-year period from the Government.
"What it means is that there is a difference between the Ministry of Finance (proposal) and that of the trade union movement," he said.
"Our $4 billion would perhaps represent somewhere in the region of 26 per cent of the wage fund, and therefore we now have to sit at the table to conduct the negotiations in a way that we can arrive at some settlement," he told The Gleaner yesterday.
Mr. Roberts said the JCTU wage proposal would be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance by the latest today.
"We expect that should be done in short order because public sector workers are anxious for a settlement to be arrived at but without compromising their position for a decent wage increase," he said.
Meanwhile, addressing the withdrawal of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ) from the JCTU earlier this week, Mr. Roberts said the action was regrettable but added that the confederation was satisfied that it did no wrong.
"We are satisfied that we have provided opportunities for not only the NAJ but other public sector unions ... to participate in the process," he said. "In fact, we have sought to invite the NAJ to two meetings, one in February and one in March, for consultation and they responded to neither."
JTA MAY GO SOLO
Addressing reports that the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) may also pursue its own negotiations, Mr. Roberts said he was aware of the intention by the teachers' body to go solo. He said, however, that the JCTU would continue attempts to persuade the JTA to stay with the process.
Mr. Roberts, however, denied speculation that the JTA might also withdraw its membership from the JCTU.
The JCTU's counter wage proposal could see the Government scrambling to find additional funds to satisfy the unions.
Last week Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, told Parliament's Standing Finance Committee meeting that the Government had only set aside $8.8 billion to deal with the wage bill.
