By Racquel Porter
A proper software system to efficiently capture and calculate overtime hours for police officers has been approved by the government, two months after the implementation deadline.
Last June, Full Court judges ordered the government to institute the system to capture the actual overtime hours for the police by March 31, 2023.
The Jamaica Police Federation had taken the government to court over its failure to implement a proper system and to pay cops for working in excess of the agreed 40-hour work week.
But Radio Jamaica News was informed that up to Wednesday morning, police officers had not received overtime pay.
During a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke confirmed that the system had been activated.
"The implementation of the overtime system is a Ministry of National Security issue and the information I have is that that system is ready to go; it’s in place. But I would defer to the Minister of National Security to respond to that," he said.
The Police Federation's General Secretary, Corporal Arlene McBean, in a letter signed on May 24, informed members that the Ministry of Finance sent a letter to the JCF Finance Branch approving overtime pay.
Corporal McBean outlined that the police is to be paid time and half for overtime hours during a normal work day and double time on a holiday.
She said the team at the JCF Finance Branch is exploring the most appropriate way to ensure payment and will provide periodic updates.
In the meantime, Corporal McBean said the JCF Finance Branch and the Federation are still receiving information from various ranks regarding the differences in net pay.
The Federation again called for the issues to be resolved.
