THE Government will pay out $11 billion to public sector workers this year to cover back pay, new rates to groups with which it settled outstanding claims in 2014/15, and the final tranche of one-off payments of $25,000 to each worker.

The groups include firefighters, education officers, correctional officers, and medical officers. The one-off $25,000 payment is residual from the 2012/15 heads of agreement.

A breakdown of the sum is outlined in the proposed $641 billion budget for 2015/16, which Finance and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips put to the House of Representatives yesterday.

The administration has also committed to paying the annual performance increment of 2.5 per cent to workers.

In the meantime, the Government is yet to reach an agreement for 2015/17, with the unions representing public sector workers.

Prior to the start of those negotiations last year, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Horace Dalley told the Jamaica Observer that there were no plans for another three-year wage freeze.

Dalley indicated, however, that any increase that was negotiated may not be as much as desired. The current agreement, which began on December 26, 2012, will expire at the end of next month.

Public sector workers’ salaries have been at a standstill for six consecutive years.

— Alphea Saunders