Jamaican Police.Com

The lawsuit that has been brought by the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), challenging the Government’s decision to freeze public sector wages (including their own) is set to be tried on March 22 and 23, 2010 in the Supreme Court. The dates were set when both parties appeared in court last Friday (September 25) for a case management hearing.

The ISCF has been demanding that the Government to honor a 7% wage and fringe benefits agreement that was signed on October 3, 2008, however the Government has insisted that it cannot grant the wage increase to public sector workers this year due to the downturn in the Jamaican economy caused by world conditions.

In the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court by the law firm Townsend, Whyte and Porter in June, the ISCF police officers are seeking several declarations, including:

1. That the heads of agreement entered into between the Government and themselves for the contract period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2010 is binding on the parties;
2. That all amounts due and payable and which remain unpaid to members of the ISCF under the heads of agreement is properly owed and is to be paid pursuant to the terms of the agreement;
3. That the amount due and owing to the members is a debt owed by the Government, and interest payable thereon is to be paid at the rate that is paid on Government of Jamaica bonds;
4. That the Government’s actions, via its servants and or agents and/or employee, amounts to an unlawful deprivation of the property of the ISCF members without adequate compensation and;
5. That the actions of the Government in breach of the heads of agreement is in contravention to Article 18 of the Constitution of Jamaica.

Tags : government lawsuit, iscf, island special constabulary force