Police, Prisons and Fire write CPO on re-classified salaries issue

Executive members of the Police, Prisons and Fire Services met on Friday in San Fernando to discuss the failure by the Chief Personnel Officer to re-classify salaries for all First Division officers.

During the meeting, members reviewed all the efforts made over the last 11 years to have salaries for First Division officers re-classified, and evidence of correspendence which were sent to the CPO, the Ministers of National Security, Public Administration over the period 2002 to 2003 were produced at the meeting. President of the Police First Division, ACP Peter John said yesterday that anger was expressed by members that the CPO has not replied to letters, indicating when she will begin to hold discussions on proper salaries for the first division.

He said that one piece of correspondence which was of grave concern to the group, was a letter from the Minister of Public Administration in June of 2002, in which he informed the First Division that he was discussing the matter with the CPO and assured that the Police First Division will hear from him. “It is almost a year after, and we are not hearing anything. We have also observed in the interim, salary adjustments are being made to our counterparts like the Commissioners and the Deputy Commissioners, in all the various services, and many other principals, even the CPO herself over the period, and we are still trying to get our increases,” said ACP John.

He said that it is now clear that First Division officers are being snubbed, and it is clearly a demonstration that the CPO, and the government do not seem concerned that senior officers are are not being properly paid. It was agreed at the meeting that the collective group should write to Minister Lenny Saith impressing upon him the urgency of the matter, so that he can do something to have this matter brought to a close. It was also agreed in the interim that the CPO be written to again asking her to to make the matter a priority. “If we get no response, then we plan to go to the membership and hold a joint meeting of all First Division officers in the police, fire and prisons to see what action can be taken in about two weeks time,” said ACP John.

He pointed out that senior people employed with the State are being regularised and yet First Division officers cannot get  just salaries. ACP John reiterated that the salary of the Commissioner moved recently from $10,000 to $19,000, while the salaries of the two Deputy Commissioners moved to $16,500. Assistant Commissioners of Police receive salaries of just under $8,000. The salaries of officers from the rank of Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner are decided by the Salaries Review Commission, while the salaries of officers from Assistant Commissioners to constables are negotiated by the CPO. There are 97 senior officers the police First Division.