By Warren Bertram
A meeting is set for today between dental surgeons and the Ministry of Finance to address sticking points in the government's compensation review programme.
The Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) represents more than a hundred of the dental surgeons in the public sector.
UCASE President Vincent Morrison said the meeting is to address matters such as the new pay scale classifications along with the removal of some benefits.
"There was a reasonable differential between the grade one, grade two, grade 3 and the grade 4, 5 and six doctors. So, the ministry’s proposal has narrowed significantly that differential and that is going to be one of the key issues when we meet at the ministry," Mr. Morrison noted.
He said the dental surgeons are concerned that they will lose, among other things, their travel allowance.
"You know, they have to travel with equipment to the schools, to the old age home, right across Jamaica. And we feel that taking away the travel allowance is not a reasonable position and one that we can agree with," he asserted.
