THE Jamaica Police Federation, which has been locked in a yearlong wage dispute with government, says it will no longer be meeting with the administration’s lead negotiator, Fitz Jackson, and asked that Finance Minister Omar Davies replace him.

In fact, the Federation said yesterday that it would boycott any meeting to discuss wages if Jackson was the head of the ministry’s negotiating team.

“Mr Jackson is not in a position to take any decisions at these wage meetings. Each time a decision is to be made he says he cannot make the final decision. Therefore. since he cannot make any decision, it is best for us to talk with the person who makes the decisions,” said the Federation’s public relations spokesman Sergeant David White.

“He has to be referring to the minister all the time, so we want to talk with the man in charge, who makes the decisions and that is the minister of finance Dr Omar Davies,” added White.

“We are getting no place with Jackson as head of the government negotiating team and therefore we are not comfortable with him. We want to talk with Dr Davies. We want him to chair all future wage talks. It just does not make sense talking with Mr Jackson.”

In February members of the constabulary, in a demonstration at the finance ministry, blocked the path to Davies’ vehicle, forcing him to meet with them. Davies who later met with them, advised that any position that Jackson took was that of the government’s.

The last meeting between the government and the police broke down last Friday.

In the meantime, the Police Federation, which has among its proposals requested that police officers who have served over 10 years be paid $50,000 as service pay and that the amount be increased by $12,000 every two years, has called a meeting of its more than 7,000 members next Monday to update members on the wage talks. The meeting will be held at the Elletson Road Sports Complex in Kingston.

“We will be bussing members from all over the island to attend this rally to discuss the salary issue and get their mandate on our next move with government,” said White.

White declined to confirm a report that Minister of Local Government Portia Simpson Miller and former minister Dr Karl Blythe – both vying for the presidency of the ruling People’s National Party – have been invited to speak at the rally. He would, however, welcome their presence.

“We will accommodate their presence at the rally. it would be interesting to hear them tell us of their vision to lead the country,” said White.