Warders demand equality under new compensation package

CHAIRMAN OF the Jamaica Federation of Corrections Arlington Turner says correctional officers should be treated like policemen and soldiers under the new compensation package.

He was speaking to The Gleaner yesterday in response to several of the penal institutions being inconvenienced because guards who showed up for work Wednesday were reluctant to perform their duties.

Just before midday, he assured The Gleaner that things were back to normal.

Turner said their bone of contention was over the wage negotiations under the new compensation review.

“We are placed in a protective service group. However, we are treated differently from the other groups within the protective service, namely the JDF (Jamaica Defence Force), JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) and the Jamaica Fire Brigade. So we have been having some problems,” Turner said about what triggered yesterday’s actions.

He added that the warders are adamant the already strained dialogue with the Ministry of Finance is dragging along and the guards are demanding some actions through the unions.

He said they are now in communication with the ministry because they are aware of what has been happening in the prisons.

“The compensation review is the major thing that we are talking about now. We did not sign off an agreement because we continue to have issues with what the ministry is proposing for correctional officers,” Turner said.

He said the actions of the warders yesterday indicated that they are serious about holding meaningful talks.

“What we are expecting is another meeting because our last document sent to them was on October 6. We have not heard anything from that. The officers are frustrated, and we as union are frustrated also because we are not getting anywhere with the ministry,” Turner said.

He told The Gleaner that the meetings thus far have not moved the motion.

The Senior Uniform Officers Association which represents senior officers, The University and Allied Workers Union, which also represents members of uniform staff in corrections and the Jamaica Federations of Corrections, are all on the same page, Turner said.

“When we go to the ministry, we attend these meetings jointly, so no one union attends these meetings ... where we are,” Turner said.

A correctional officer told The Gleaner that the job, because of the system, creates a thin line between life and death.

“The warder dem a pressure the unions to act. Everybody disgruntled right now. Our work is important just like the police and soldiers. We deal with some very dangerous people … warder dead and dash weh and nothing is solved. Is just the nature of the work,” the warder who requested anonymity said.

Up to press time, there was no response from the finance ministry to Wednesday’s unrest.