(Jamaica Gleaner) Oneil Grant, the president of the Jamaica Civil Service Association, has served notice on the Government that members of his association are not prepared to entertain talks of a wage freeze beyond 2015.
“This sacrifice must not be one that we repeat,” Grant said during a signing ceremony at Jamaica House.
Several public-sector workers have agreed to forego wage increase for the next three years, which will mean five years of zero raise in their salaries.
Delivering a message on behalf of the workers, Grant said they were emphatic that they would not walk this road again.
“They have said never again. They have said that they gave us a mandate initially that they have lost the appetite for foregoing wages, and they have said, ‘President, never again. We must not find ourselves in this position again’,” Grant declared.
He has urged fellow trade unions to sign on to the wage freeze saying “it is not for ourselves that we negotiate, but we negotiate for our country”.
