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| [2004/2005 Jamaica Budget Memorandum] Appendix 1 - Establishment Division |
The role of the Public Service Establishment Division is to develop, implement and review human
resource management policies to facilitate efficient and cost effective public services and to ensure
that the Government continues to meet best practices by:
The Division works to ensure that:
- Providing the conditions of service that will satisfy the needs of public
sector workers.
- Providing research functions, which will facilitate the proper utilization of posts,
and controlling the size of the Public Service.
- Implementing pay policies and developing pay structures which are rational and marketable.
- Continually reviewing and re-crafting personnel policies so that they are
in line with modern human resource management practices.
- Maintaining and enhancing industrial harmony in the public sector.
- Improving the adequacy and timeliness of retirement benefits.
- Ensuring that the recommendations made by the Permanent Salaries Review
Board in respect of wage and fringe benefit claims for Public Sector employees are as far
as possible submitted within the required time-frame and are the most fair and equitable that
can be made on the basis of available resources.
The following were the major accomplishments for the FY2003/04
Superannuation
- Completed the processing of 2,292 pension cases.
- Examined draft amendments to the following Pensions legislations to provide improved
retirement and death benefits:
- The Defence Retired Pay, Pensions and Other Grants regulations;
- The Government Employees (Compassionate Gratuities) Resolution;
- The Act to provide pension benefits to Parish Councillors.
Finalized the following amendments for improved death benefits:
- The Pensions Act;
- The Pensions (Parochial Officers) Act;
- The Pensions (Teachers) Act.
- Actively engaged in the Public Sector Modernisation Project to standardize benefits under the various Pensions legislations and possibly reduce the number of these legislations;
- Concluded review resulting in an increase of $200M to pensioners with effect from July 1, 2003.
Conditions of Service/Employee Benefits
- Managed a fleet of fourteen (14) buses to transport Civil Servants.
- Presented medals as long service awards and certificates to four hundred and
fifty-one (451) Civil Servants who have served for at least twenty-five (25) years.
- Approved and processed three hundred and fifty (350) motor vehicle loans,
four hundred and fifty-five (455) miscellaneous loans and thirty-five (35) computer
loans. These were made possible through revolving funds.
>Research and Establishment Control
- Updated the Civil Service Establishment database and published the Civil Service Establishment (General) (Amendment) 2002 and the Civil Service Establishment (General) Order 2003.
- Conducted two (2) Wage Bill surveys for all established posts, temporary and contract posts on
the Government's Budget.
- Created database of non-academic staff in schools and colleges and updated database of KSAC and Parish Councils (50% completed) in order to provide information for varied research projects.
- Established a Post Operations Committee to monitor the creation of posts, filling of vacancies, classification and upgrading.
>Permanent Salaries Review Board
- Completed and submitted recommendations on five (5) claims for the 2000/01-2002/03
and 2001-2003 contract periods.
- As at January 23, 2004 for the contract periods 2002/03-2004/05 and 2003-2005, the PSRB's
advice was sought on forty-two (42) claims for improved salaries and other benefits and conditions
of service for Public Sector employees.
- Thirty (30) recommendations were submitted by the PSRB.
- Twenty -eight (28) claims were heard by the PSRB.
>Industrial Relations
- Settled ten (10) Heads of Agreement related to Central and Local Government groups
for the 2002-2004 contract period.
- Twenty (20) groups were in active negotiations at the end of the financial year.
- Maintained the number of bargaining units within the Civil Service at thirty-two (32) as
proliferation of the groups makes negotiations more difficult. Five (5) claims were received
from Executive Agencies during the period with settlement achieved in one case.
- Appeared before the Permanent Salaries Review Board with respect to nineteen (19) bargaining
units.
- Received forty-six (46) claims from parastatals. Negotiating Parameters communicated to
Management.
- Maintained industrial harmony with had minimal disruption of service. One (1) bargaining unit
engaged in work to rule on two (2) occasions; the first lasted one (1) day and the second two (2) days.
- Received advice/recommendations from the Permanent Salaries Review Board on eighteen
(18) wage claims for contract period 2002-2004.
- Participated in one (1) conciliation meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
- Participated in twelve (12) sittings at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.
>Compensation
- Reviewed the classification standard for the Financial Management Group taking into
consideration contemporary accounting protocols.
- Finalized the reclassification of the administrative group to streamline career paths and to
address the redefinition of jobs in the cadre.
- Researched the occupational streams in the Health Services as they relate to new technologies,
demands and medical innovations. A draft standard has been developed for discussions with
stakeholders.
- Defended classification of Medical Technologists and Scientific Officers at the Industrial
Disputes Tribunal (IDT). Conducted job audits and reclassified certain Medical Technologists jobs in accordance with the IDT Award.
- Developed and implemented new classification and pay plan for the Protective Services Group.
- Implemented 2nd tranche of the "80% of market" adjustment to Civil Service Groups and undertook comparative analyses for Executive Agencies and certain Statutory Bodies.
- Finalised pay structure for Teachers based on linkage of Civil Service pay.
- Arising from wage negotiations, issued pay revisions for weekly and daily paid employees,
education officers, health support group, academic, administrative and support staff in schools
and colleges.
- Assessed, modified and approved job evaluation studies for fifteen (15) statutory bodies
and other government agencies.
During FY2004/05, the Division will:
- Address the welfare of pensioners by:
- Finalizing outstanding amendments to Pensions Legislations to reflect improved
benefits and to facilitate standardization.
- Continuing modernization of the pension system to improve delivery of service
to pensioners.
- Continue to process applications of Civil Servants to assist in the purchase of motor
vehicles and provide loans for computers and miscellaneous emergencies.
- Present medals and certificates to approximately five hundred and fifty (550) Civil Servants
who have served for over twenty-five (25) years.
- Publish and promulgate revised Staff Orders reflecting current personnel policies and practices.
- Continue to provide transportation services to Civil Servants.
- Publish the Civil Service Establishment (General) Order (Principal) and the Civil service establishment (General) (Amendment) Order.
- Conduct a Wage Bill survey to determine the cost to Government of all posts linked to the Government's budget.
- Maintain computerized database of the Civil Service Establishment to facilitate printing of
the Civil Service Establishment Order.
- Update and maintain database of the established posts in the Local Authorities and other
government agencies in order to provide information for decision-making on varied research projects.
- Conduct a survey of the utilization of 40,000 plus posts in Central Government (i.e. determine
which and how many are filled).
- Provide statistical data for the activities in the Public Service Establishment Division when required.
- Update database of posts for non-teaching staff in Government aided schools and Colleges.
- Implement market pay adjustments for Civil Service groups that reflect internal and external relativities.
- Seek to conclude settlements with remaining bargaining units for the 2002/03-2004/05-contract period.
- Provide support to the Monitoring Committee for the smooth operation of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Public Sector.
- The Permanent Salaries Review Board will continue to hear eighteen (18) wage/benefits claims for contract periods 2002/04 and 2003/05.
- Through the Permanent Salaries Review Board seek to significantly improve its database.
- Address pay policy issues arising from the Memorandum of Understanding.
- Refine terms and conditions for contract officers.
- Write pay administration rules, revise pay and benefits guidelines for parastatal agencies.
- Implement pay revisions for groups to be settled for the 2002/05 contract periods in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding.
- Provide technical assistance in wage negotiations (mainly health service groups) and Memorandum of Understanding discussions.
- Research and develop classification standards for health professionals, information technology, financial management and special education.
- Determine the 2003/04 Wage bill and project the 2004/05 Wage bill.
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