By Halshane Burke
As the restructuring exercise in the public sector continues, employees at the Jamaica Customs Agency and Tax Administration Jamaica are said to be restive.
The workers are calling for their union to be allowed to participate in the ongoing wage discussions.
O'Neil Grant, President of the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), says the workers believe their alignment is too low on the 15-band structure and are requesting that the realignment be higher.
Mr. Grant says the union stands with the workers in their quest for a higher alignment.
"We recognise that the level that is being put now for the alignment of both TAJ and Customs is going to put them in a little bit of jeopardy going forward and we want to ensure that the alignment speaks to the spirit of the creation of the two entities when they were revamped and not just a line for line alignment," he suggested.
Mr. Grant said the Minister of Finance has indicated that he will meet with each entity next week to discuss the issue.
"We have told them that in light of the fact that the ministry has indicated a willingness to meet and discuss the issue, that they ought not to proceed with action until they are satisfied that the meeting would have either yielded an outcome or whether or not they think they need to continue to press for the outcome that they desire," he said.
The JCSA president noted that efforts by the Finance Ministry to engage workers and bring in the union to settle the issues, should have been concluded from at least December last year.
He said the workers are worried that if the realignment is not settled this fiscal year, it could further delay their retroactive payments.
