The Acting President of the Jamaica Civil Service Association, JCSA, Robert Chung, says travelling officers are prepared to take to the streets next Monday, to press the government into paying their retroactive travelling allowances in time for the Christmas holidays.
The travelling officers protested outside the offices of the Finance Ministry yesterday.
The government issued a statement last night, repeating its earlier position that the payments will be made in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.
But Mr. Chung says the militancy won’t stop.
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Mr. Chung says his members are not buying the line that the government lacks the ability to pay.
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And Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, says the Government must pay the travelling officers service their retroactive allowances this calendar year as promised.
In a statement today Mr. Shaw says the public sector workers have been called upon to make extraordinary sacrifices amidst increased socio economic hardships under the Economic Reform Programme.
He says payment of the retroactive amounts will go a far way in easing the economic hardships visited upon the public sector workers.
Mr. Shaw says Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips should act quickly and make the necessary arrangements.
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