Senior cops reject new contract
FOUR senior Jamaican cops are holding out against signing a new three-year contract which they insist offers terms way below those given to expatriate officers recently recruited by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
Their refusal to sign the contract drafted by the Police Services Commission (PSC) could see them reaching retirement age at their present rank, the Police Officers Association (POA) fears.
The unnamed officers, whose ranks range from senior superintendent to assistant commissioner, accuse the authorities of not providing a level playing field, when compared with the contract offered to the overseas cops, beginning with Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields, who was hired from the London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in March 2005 and put in command of the crime portfolio.
“We are calling for a review of the contract for local officers,” said POA chairman, Norman Heywood.
The JCF officer corps currently has three deputy commissioners, 12 assistant commissioners, 30 senior superintendents, 57 superintendents, 138 deputy superintendents and 16 assistant superintendents.
The new PSC policy, which became effective in 2005, stipulates that officers from the rank of senior superintendent to deputy commissioner must sign a three-year contract to be eligible for promotion to the commissioned ranks – from assistant commissioner through to commissioner of police.
Previously, it only required an interview with the PSC to be promoted to the commissioned ranks.
At least two senior superintendents have since opted to sign the contract and have been promoted to assistant commissioners.
But the four officers, whom POA chairman Norman Heywood declined to name, are determined not to sign and are insisting that the downside of the contract is that they could lose their job.
Heywood, who is firmly in support of the officers, is challenging the contract, citing an exit clause in the foreign officers’ contract, which he charged was not in that of the local officers.
Heywood called on government to immediately review the contract with a view of having it changed to one based on performance, noting that the current contract had led to a stalemate, as officers who were acting in the commissioner ranks for over two years could not be promoted.
“The contract is causing a stalemate because we have clear vacancies at the commissioner ranks that cannot be filled,” Heywood complained.
Assistant commissioner Lynval Bailey, in charge of operations, has been acting as deputy commissioner while senior superintendents Leon Rose and Owen Ellington have been acting as assistant commissioners for more than 24 months, he disclosed.
“We have people acting as assistant commissioners and deputy commissioner for over two years and cannot be promoted as they have refused to sign the contract because of the flawed terms and conditions. If they sign that contract they will be signing away their pension,” Heywood declared.
Pointing to the recent contract of three overseas superintendents who were hired and promoted to assistant commissioners of police, the POA chairman highlighted the exit clause covering premature termination.
Termination up to a year in the life of the contract would attract 100 per cent of annual salary and over one year 75 per cent of annual salary under that clause.
“We do not have that (exit clause) in our contract and we are saying give us a level playing field, show us some transparency because what is good for the foreign officers must be good for us too,” Heywood lamented.
Overseas officers are entitled to, among other things, return tickets for four to the United Kingdom annually; private schooling allowance for two children; provision of motor vehicle for private use; life insurance commensurate with additional personal risk; health and dental care insurance; and reimbursement of costs associated with accommodation and security.
The local officers are also peeved that against automatic renewal of their contracts, they are now being subjected to the satisfactory completion of service – to be determined by the PSC; required to comply with the requirements of the Corruption Prevention Act; subjected to random drug, illegal substances and alcohol test, as well as polygraph tests.
“If they are involved in an accident resulting in personal injury, damage to property or equipment, they shall be subjected to tests for the use of drugs, alcohol or illegal substances. If found to be positive, employment shall be terminated without notice and without any terminal payments,” the POA said.
Heywood blasted the PSC, saying that the foreign officers’ contracts did not contain the drug testing clause and questioned the relevance of including it in the local contract.
“Show me the transparency there,” he urged.
“It does not have a disengagement clause consistent with proper labour relations and industrial practices. It also leaves loopholes for politicians who do not like a police officer, to terminate his contract without cause,” Heywood added. “If they (local officers) sign the contract they will be signing away their pension.”
He conceded that officers who had reached age 57 or completed 30 years in the force would benefit from signing such a contract, explaining that officers were eligible for full pension benefits after serving 30 years or after age 50, whichever came first.
It was those with 25 years’ service and now eligible for promotion to senior superintendent who would lose pension benefits.
“The contract would only provide him with gratuity at the end of his three-year period and at the same time there will be uncertainty if the contract will be renewed. Therefore, an officer at age 45 with 25 years’ service, not having full pension benefits could be out of a job…,” he said.