KINGSTON, Jamaica — Patience within the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force is wearing thin as wage discussions for the upcoming contract period remain at a standstill.
The Police Federation says it has been attempting to bring the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to the table since early summer but has met only silence and vague acknowledgements. According to the Federation, the absence of concrete dialogue is now straining relations between the two sides.
A Promise Unkept
In early May, during discussions on finalising the second phase of the national Compensation Review, the Federation says it received assurances that salary negotiations for 2025–2027 would begin promptly. Nearly three months later, no timetable has been set.
Repeated letters — one in late June and another in late July — have yielded no firm date. The only reply came on July 29, noting that the minister was overseas at the time, without committing to future talks.
Officers Call for Respect
Federation chair Sergeant Arleen McBean describes the delay as an unnecessary slight to the men and women who have helped drive a significant drop in major crimes this year. She argues that the country celebrates the results but is slow to address the welfare of those who deliver them.
“We’ve kept our side of the bargain. We’re asking the government to keep theirs,” McBean said. “The longer this drags on, the more restive our members become.”
Potential Flashpoint
While no industrial action has been declared, the Federation’s language signals mounting frustration that could boil over if the deadlock continues. Officers want both the outstanding 2022–2025 matters settled and the new contract talks launched without further delay.
For now, the message from the Federation is simple: the government must engage — or risk souring a relationship it will need in order to maintain the gains in public safety.
If you want, I can also give you an opinion-style rewrite framing this as a commentary on Jamaica’s approach to frontline labour relations rather than a straight news report. That would make it even less like the original.
