THE Jamaica Police Federation yesterday stood firm on its demand for a 47 per cent pay increase after a three-and-a-half hour meeting with minister of state in the finance ministry Fitz Jackson.

“Nothing has been conceded and that is not being contemplated at this point,” Corporal Hartley Stewart, general secretary of the Police Federation said.

The police had earlier this week expressed their disappointment at the long time the government had taken to reply to their 24-point claim for wage and fringe benefit increases for 2003-2005.

The cops had threatened to take “positive and resolute action” if their demands for better pay were not met, but after meeting with Jackson the mood of the cops seemed to have softened.

“We have seen vast improvement in the level of discussion on the part of the government as it relates to what they are willing to listen to and what they are putting on the table,” Stewart told the Observer. “We are much more upbeat after this meeting than we have been in the last nine months.”

The government had earlier suggested that the cops take a three per cent salary increase in keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between public sector workers and the administration.

The MOU stipulated that public sector workers would not get more than a three per cent increase in wages over two years.

The cops, however, flatly rejected the offer and pointed out that they were not signatory to the MOU and were therefore not bound to honour it.

Members of the Police Federation and Jackson will meet next Wednesday to continue wage talks.