KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – More than 300 workers at the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) were continuing their strike action on Friday to force management into paying improved salaries and wages.
The workers on Thursday walked off the jobs severely curtailing operations at the BOJ, but banking officials said the industrial action was not affecting the operations of commercial banks on the island..
President General of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Ruddy Spencer said the workers would step up their protest on Friday if an agreement is not reached.
“Our strategy requires that we continue our protest action. At the end of the meeting on Friday afternoon we will review our position and determine what strategies to employ,” Spencer said.
Central Bank Governor Derrick Latibeaudiere said that management is prepared to settle the dispute quickly but is awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Finance.
He said he is not opposed to the wage demand from the employees and agreed that they should be paid more than what is stipulated in the Public Sector Memorandum of Understanding.
But the Ministry of Finance has to indicate if the Bank can negotiate outside the parameters of the MOU and how much more can be offered to the employees.
The workers are seeking salary adjustments above the limits established under the second MOU signed in April. No details of the amount being sought have been made public, but they said the MOU makes provisions for entities which are not on the budget to negotiate increases above the limits set by the MOU.