Gov’t, DCs sign new agreement
THE government and the United District Constables Association yesterday signed a new fringe benefits agreement at the finance ministry in Kingston.
Under the agreement, the district constables will receive some of the provisions accorded to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) earlier this month, including a one-off payment of $50,000, a $50,000-increase in death benefits and a $500,000- increase in funeral grants.
Head of the ministry’s Industrial Relations Unit, Winston Scott, said that for the $50,000 one-off payment, the first amount of $25,000 would be made next month, with the remaining $25,000 to be paid in February 2006. However, he said that for part-time district constables, payments would be based on hours worked.
The junior minister of finance and planning, Fitz Jackson, said the signing was an important occasion that marked “the culmination of a long process with the island’s security services throughout the country…and the district constables are one important element of the security service arrangement”.
He said, however, that while all the relevant provisions accorded to JCF would be extended to the district constables, some provisions such as uniform allowances, education and relocation grants would not apply.
Jackson said that his ministry would be working closely with the Ministry of National Security in its efforts to streamline the ISCF and to reorganise the security services on the whole. He said district constables were an integral arm of this programme as they represented security provision at the community level.
“You (district constables) provided the ability and the capacity to provide a sort of personalised service to the public as part of the security system and we recognise and appreciate the value of what you do,” Jackson said.
While expressing approval of the signing of the contract, president of the United District Constables Association, Thelma Hall, said, “we do hope that at the end of this, our members will be satisfied because we work along with the regular members very hard and we think we should get the same benefits as the other arms of the force. I do hope that when the 2006 negotiations have started, we will be satisfied.”
