WAGE talks between the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and public sector trade unions seemed on the verge of breaking down yesterday, as the ministry failed to make any headway in talks with police and teachers.

In fact, despite plans for two meetings yesterday, one with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the other with the Jamaica Police Federation, it was learnt that only the police were able to meet with the ministry ‘s team and that they met twice due the premature breakdown of the initial meeting.

Up to last night, the ministry did not respond to the public sentiments expressed by either the teachers or the police, nor was there any indication as to when the talks would resume.

The Government’s offer of a three per cent pay increase, in each year of a new two-year agreement, has been rejected by all the unions. The unions are seeking a 30 per cent increase in each year of the agreement. However, some unions have insisted that they are willing to talk, if the Government’s offer is backed up with improved fringe benefits.

It is understood that at their early meeting yesterday morning, the police team had sought the intervention of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, leading to the calling of the second meeting at the ministry, which also failed to impress the police team.

In a release last night, the Police Federation said it was grossly disappointed that the Government returned to the table with the same offer with only minor adjustments. The federation said it was assured by Minister Audley Shaw at last Wednesday’s meeting that he would separate the police group from other public sector groups and that a reduced set of items would be taken to the Cabinet for consideration.

“However, this seems not to have been the case,” said Sergeant Cecil McCalla, general secretary of the federation.

The Jamaica Observer failed yesterday on several occasions to contact Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Rudyard Spencer, who is leading the ministry’s team.

In an audio clip sent to the media yesterday, President of the JTA Georgia Waugh-Richards expressed dismay at the postponement of their meeting with the ministry team. She said that she had been informed unofficially.

“To say that we were livid is an underestimation,” she said in the audio circulated by the JTA’s communication office.

“We are not at all pleased with the process…It is, therefore, important that, at this time, the Government recognises that things cannot remain the same,” she added.

The JTA represents more that 20,000 public school teachers, while the Jamaica Police Federation is the representative for rank-and-file members of the constabulary.

The next big issue for the Ministry of Finance could be meeting with the 11 trade unions negotiating under the banner of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), which represents Government employees across the island.

The Observer was unable to ascertain yesterday when this umbrella group is expected to meet again with the ministry. Previous talks have also been affected by the administration’s inability to budge beyond its six per cent pay offer.

The Government has insisted that its offer is pegged to the condition laid down under its Stand-by Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to reduce public sector salaries below nine per cent of GDP.

The IMF insisted that this will free the Government’s hand to make more improvements to the public sector, and to have more capital spending to improve the country’s economic and social infrastructure.