Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter
A section of the gathering at the 87th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Civil Service Association which was held yesterday at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MORE THAN 80,000 public sector workers will benefit from a $500 million revolving loan fund to access tertiary-level education as part of the provisions under the new Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) to be signed between Government and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU).
Wayne Jones, president of the Jamaica Civil Service Associa-tion, said yesterday that the loan will be available to workers over a two-year period.
He also told The Gleaner that the increase in wages under the new MoU will range from 13 to 27 per cent across all sectors affected.
STRUGGLE
A nearly two-month struggle, between the Government and the confederation to reach a compromise on a new wage agreement is set to finally come to an end with the signing of the new MoU scheduled for next Monday. The previous wage agreement came to an end on March 31.
Workers will also benefit from $50 million in funding for the summer training programme established two years ago under the previous MoU.
Both Jones and Lambert Brown, second vice-president of the JCTU, outlined the new benefits during the Jamaica Civil Service Association's 87th annual general meeting held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.
Brown described the new MoU as a victory for the trade unions and a 'win-win' for the country.
BENEFITS
"This is the best that could be done under the circumstances, and the MoU comes with a lot of benefits for the workers, including job security, housing and training," he said.
He added that the increased wages in the agreement would be paid out as soon as the new MoU.
