KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Police Officers’ Association (POA) has called for the urgent intervention of Prime Minister Andrew Holness in its current wage deadlock with the Government.

At an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon,the POA’s 320 members voted unanimously to reject the upgraded wage offer placed on the table by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service last Friday.

READ: Police officers say no to Gov’t wage offer

As he opened the 2023/24 Budget Debate, Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke stated that $10.2 billion was put aside to pay rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, who are represented by the Jamaica Police Federation; $1 billion was allotted to pay district constables, who are represented by the United District Constables’ Association, and 600 million to pay members of the officer ranks, who are POA.

In addition, Clarke outlined that these bodies should, in essence, agree to the current proposals before the end of March in order to get these funds. Still, there has been a standoff regarding wages.

Against this background, the Association is now calling on the prime minister to intervene in the matter.

“The urgencies expressed by the minister, in respect to concluding these negotiations, were communicated directly to the POA and to the public at large. The POA has always made itself available to participate and conclude this process. However, to date neither the minister nor representatives of the ministry has responded to the POA’s position or issued an acknowledgement,” the POA said in a news release.

“It is on this premise that the POA is seeking your intervention on this matter which is of utmost importance for the country, the government and the Officers of the JCF,” the release stated.