Police Federation officials emerged from a five-hour emergency meeting yesterday, saying that they had a mandate from their members to respond to the Government’s refusal to meet a 45 per cent wage demand, but declined to elaborate on the directive.

“.we were given mandates as a central executive, but owing to the sensitive nature in terms of the negotiations, it would not be ethical for me to get into those details before we take certain steps,” Police Federation President Raymond Wilson told the Observer.

“The next move is to re-examine the resolutions, and having looked at them, take the necessary preparatory steps to deal with the matter,” Wilson added.

Yesterday’s meeting at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, was attended by more than 300 members of the federation, the body that represents cops up to the rank of inspector.

“The discussions were very responsible and hard, and showed clearly the standards of our people in relating what is happening,” Wilson said. “All discussions related to the issue of remuneration or improvement in working conditions and condition of service.”

The federation had called the emergency meeting to discuss what it saw as unfavourable wage negotiations with junior finance minister Fitz Jackson.

Last week, the members of the federation executive had said that they were pleased with a meeting they had with Jackson. But the police negotiating team stormed out of the finance ministry on Wednesday after ministry officials told them they had no offer to make.