Dr Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and Public Service, says his ministry is working with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) to review the terms and conditions of service of JCTU union members.

Members of the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) this week raised concerns following a delay by the Finance Ministry to implement claims outlined in their wage agreement.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MOFPS) has been in dialogue with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), which is the counterparty agreed by its 12 member unions mentioned below, for discussions on the review of terms and conditions of service that is currently underway,” the Finance Minister said in a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday, June 27.

Clarke says the Finance Ministry observes well-established rules of engagement in the collective bargaining process and notes that, “Among other things, this means that if we are engaging with the JCTU on matters, we cannot go ahead with respect to those matters until the JCTU signals that all its members are on board. Until such time, the dialogue has continued, continues, and will continue.”

“I understand that this can have frustrating consequences for some members of the public service, as from their perspective, things seem to take time, and they may be unaware of all the reasons. In making this post, I would like to assure all members of the public service that the dialogue continues and we are working together with the JCTU towards satisfactorily completing it as soon as practically possible. I will provide further updates, as necessary, in due course,” Clarke assured.

The JCTU members include the Union of Technical, Administrative, and Supervisory Personnel, the National Workers Union, the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, the Jamaica Teachers Association, the Jamaica Civil Service Association, the University and Allied Workers Union, the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers, the Trade Union Congress, the Jamaica Workers Union, the Union of Public Officers and Public Employees, the United Union of Jamaica and the Union of Schools, and agricultural and Allied workers.