If the Government insists on paying backpay arrears to police officers in cash and bonds, police officers say they will, in turn, work in tranches.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Police Service Social and Welfare Association, at the Besson Street Police Station, yesterday, head of the association Insp Anand Ramesar said his membership stated that they would work in tranches to match the proposal to pay them in like manner.
Ramesar said, “I had a general council meeting yesterday and we always maintained as an organisation that we would do nothing unless it is legal to do so, but when you want to pay the police 50 per cent, coming out of the general council, they said they would perform 50 per cent of their duties in June and then they would perform the next 50 in September.
If you want to do performance in tranches well that is the kind of responses you get. I am urging the Government to treat with the matter seriously because it is going to affect performance.
The longer you take to respond and treat with the options, the worse it will get.”
Flanked by the heads of the Prison Officers Association and the Fire Service Association, Ceron Richards and Leo Ramkissoon, respectively, Ramesar said following a meeting with Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday, a deadline of May 31 was set for the reconsideration of the proposed bonds.
The three representatives stated that the bonds and a lack of information were “like cyanide” and they would not be taking it.
They said a suggestion of a stipulated $50,000 cash payout for officers was made to the minister.
Those with arrears in excess of that would be given at least $50,000 and those whose arrears were less would receive their full cash arrears.
Richards added, “We are suspicious as to what those bonds would take and we are deeming these bonds poisonous to the members of the protective services. Please remove the option of bonds. We negotiated for money, so we would like money to be paid.”
They said they were cognisant of the current economic situation faced by the country and were not being greedy but merely wanted what was due their membership given that the monies owed were for the period 2011 through 2013.