Jamaica Public Servants To Receive Cash Benefit From New Government Initiative

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Jamaica has a launched a new initiative that will allow the country’s more than 100,000 public servants, who recently agreed to a three-year wage freeze as part of the island’s economic reform program, to receive cash rewards.

The “Team Jamaica Valucard’ program will provide the rewards to the public servants if the cards are used to access goods and services at any of the participating merchants.

The program is being facilitated by the government and follows collaboration between the private sector and the unions representing civil servants.

A government statement said the initiative is “to show appreciation and support to the workers, who agreed to a three-year wage freeze, as part of Jamaica’s economic reform program.

“The wage restraint has now been lifted, with workers receiving a seven per cent salary increase for the 2015/17 contract period,” the statement noted.

Minister with responsibility for the Public Service, Horace Dalley thanked public sector workers for their sacrifice during the period of wage restraint, and encouraged them to access and fully utilise the benefits being provided through the card.

Chairman of ePayment Group (EPAY), which is the technology company behind the initiative, also commended the stakeholders “for working together to make this happen.”

Vice President of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), Helene Davis-Whyte, described the Valucard as a “demonstration of something that we, in the JCTU, really support and believe.

“That is, we can accomplish almost anything for our country,…if we practice what is called social dialogue…making sure that our three main partners –government, trade unions on behalf of workers, and the private sector –  are able to come together and deal with issues that affect the Jamaican economy, and people,” she said.

So far, 45,000 cards have already been delivered, with another 70,000 to be distributed over the coming weeks.