The Police Welfare Association (PWA) has met with executives of the United Workers Party (UWP) over salary increase and fringe benefit matters. Chairman of the PWA, Jefferson Drigo, said the meeting with the opposition’s negotiating team was fruitful and cordial. “I can say that the meeting was very cordial and fruitful,” he said.
The PWA and the current government administration had been at loggerheads over salary and benefits for the three years extending from 2018 to 2021. Police officers are demanding for 15% for 2018/2019, 15% for 2019/2020, and another 15% for 2020/2021. Unfortunately, Skerrit-led administration had not offered anything meaningful to encourage police workers in this regard since 2018 when they started their demands.
Drigo however revealed that the UWP’s negotiating team offered PWA 2.5% from 2018 to 2020, and then 5% from 2020 to 2021. There is also the offer to pay insurance premiums for retired officers for life.
“We were offered 2.5% for 2018-2019, 2.5% for 2019/2020 and 5% for 2020/2021 they have also decided to pay the insurance premium for all retired police officers for life since that is presently not being done,” Drigo stated.
He disclosed that his team also raised the need for $450 “special duty allowance” to be paid to all police officers instead of only to the Task Force and the SSU. He said the UWP promised to look into this request in a short time. He said his team also asked for “risk allowance” to be paid to all police officers since they risk their lives to undertake risky assignments at all times of the day and night.
Drigo decried the situation where overtime allowance is not paid to police officers in several Caribbean countries. He lamented that police officers tackle crimes and auto accidents and quell protests in very difficult circumstances and ought to be rewarded better for their commitments. He revealed however that the UWP promised to address the situation at the proper time.
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