Dr. Omar Davies (left), Minister of Finance and Planning, and Wayne Jones Photograph by Jamaica Gleaner RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
This, for us, is one of the best chances.to secure general societal agreement on how we need to advance the interest of the poor working class people.
- Wayne Jones , VP Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU).
After months of stormy meetings, stinging criticism by the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) of being a sell out, setbacks and pull outs, Kingston College Old Boy and President of the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), Wayne Jones, led some of his JCTU colleagues in signing, on behalf of public sector workers, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU2) with Government of Jamaica officials on Tuesday, May 30 th 2006 at Jamaica House.
The social contract will run for two fiscal years. Under the new deal, the government of Jamaica is making available $15 billion for increased pay and fringe benefits in 2006/2007 and a further five percent in pay in 2007/2008. Officials have suggested that actual increases would range between 13 percent and 27 percent over the period, with junior, lower-paid public servants getting the bigger hike.
Under the MoU, civil servants will benefit from a $500 million revolving loan fund to assist them in accessing tertiary education and training over a two year period. At the same time, $50million is being made available to continue a summer training programme to enable public sector workers to gain entrepreneurial skills, while measures were to be put in place to help public sector workers own their homes.
In exchange for wage restraint by the major unions, the Government has promised to:
1) Ensure economic growth of between three and four percent over the next two fiscal years.
2) Hold inflation to no more than 11 percent in fiscal 2006/07 and reduce to single digits by 2007/08
3) Run a public deficit of no more than 3 percent this year, and no higher than 1 percent if the budget is not balanced by the end of 2007/8.
Even in his moment of triumph, Wayne has been magnanimous to both JTA and the Nurses Association who earlier attempted to pull the rug from under his feet by withdrawing and staying out of the pact..
He extended the olive branch to the JTA by saying:
" The JTA continues to be an active member of the confederation and an active associate of the process thus far.We understand that they have particular and peculiar challenges, and we continue to work together "
The KCOB still left the door opened to the NAJ when he said:
" We (the JCTU) remain available to assist the nurses in whatever way possible and at any time that they reckon that they want to come back to the family."
