KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Advocates Network is demanding that the interdiction of the Chairman of the Police Federation, Corporal Rohan James be rescinded, adding that he was expressing his right to freedom of speech when he made remarks criticising the police high command at a funeral service for a policeman last month.

READ: Police Federation boss interdicted after criticising high command, faces dismissal

In a statement on Friday the Network said that the issues raised by James over delayed payments of overtime monies was not “a frivolous claim… but a verifiable fact”.

“The response of the commissioner to a genuine welfare concern is very disappointing and only serves to escalate rather than resolving this conflict. The Advocates Network therefore does not support the stance of the commissioner of police on this issue,” the organisation said.

“The Jamaican Police or any other worker should have the confidence to advocate for their rights without fear of intimidation or retaliation on the part of heads of department. It is bad faith to treat grievances over compensation with punitive measures that undermine morale and demotivate an already overworked and under-resourced police force,” the Advocates Network continued.

The Network went on to urge the Police Commission Major General Antony Anderson to withdraw Corporal James’s interdiction and return to the negotiation table to find a workable solution for the administration and implementation of the overtime claims by the federated ranks.