Police not willing to accept 5% wage increase

On Friday the PSA through its President Watson Duke signed an agreement with the Chief Personnel Officer Stephanie Lewis for a five percent increase in salaries for public servants as well as additional allowances such as Insurance, Death and Housing Benefits.

Yesterday President of the Police Social and Welfare Association Sgt Anand Ramesar told Newsday that he and his executive have noted the decision by the PsA to sign the agreement but members have indicated that they are not willing to settle for the meagre five percent.

Last week the CPO and the Police Association began negotiations after seven meetings with respect to allowances for Police Officers.

Another meeting will be held on Wednesday of this week to continue negotiations.

However, Sgt Ramesar told Sunday Newsday yesterday, “we have noted the five percent acceptance by the PSA however we are still in a special position and there are special and specific situations that justifies treating police officers in a separate category that will demand we go beyond five percent, if we are to pay any recognition to the work that police officers are doing.

Presently several members of the police service, especially the uniform officers in the police association, are crying out and the time has come for the lack of appreciation and the provision of allowances to come to an end and that they receive a better pay for the work that they are doing.”

He added, “It is clear that based on the present negotiations proposed by the previous executive issues surrounding uniformed police officers were not properly addressed. As it is this executive can only bring justice to uniform police officers by ensuring that the increase in excess of five percent is achieved, I have had several communications with these officers and they have made it clear that they will not leave this executive to fight for that increase alone and they themselves will join and do what they think is necessary to convince and persuade the relevant stakeholders that they should be reasonable and meet the needs of these officers.”

On a different matter Sgt Ramesar admitted that his Association came under heavy fire during a heated meeting of the Central Executive Committee on Friday in which members expressed concern over statements made by both himself and his secretary Sgt Michael Seales over First Division Officers accepting monies to fast track gun applications. Sgt Ramesar and Sgt Seales were fined two months of their stipend as punishment for statements made but they continue to remain in their substantive positions in the Association.

Newsday understands that the Association will not be providing deputy police commissioner Jack Ewatski with any evidence relating to First Division Officers who may have accepted monies to fast track gun licences.

On Friday Attorney General Anand Ramlogan requested from the Police Complaints Authority that they launch an immediate probe into the allegations made by the police Association.