JPS, unions to hold crucial talks
A crucial meeting on the job evaluation dispute at the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is to be held today between the management and the trade unions.
While the unions are looking for a positive response from the management, the Observer has learnt that with the bill for the controversial job evaluation, which dates back to 2001, jumping to well over $2 billion, the management may have a problem agreeing to their terms.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, said yesterday that he expects the meeting will mark a resumption of talks between the parties which will lead to a conclusion.
“I would hope that the discussions today will continue until an agreement is reached,” Charles said.
During a short-lived strike by the workers last Wednesday, power to some communities were deliberately cut, and persons who sought help from the company’s customer services department were denied.
National Workers Union (NWU) president emeritus, Clive Dobson, said that the strike was triggered by the failure, up to then, of the management to confirm a date for a meeting to resolve the evaulation issue.
The Observer reported in May that former owners, Mirant, had set aside $50 million up to then to meet the payments. However, since then a dispute has developed between new owners, Marubeni, and the unions over the formula to calculate the the payments arising from the six-year-old reclassification.