A group of police officers, who opted for early retirement from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), is now threatening legal action against the Government for outstanding compensation.
The disgruntled retirees said they are facing severe hardship, that they are at a stage of desperation after years of being told to “hold strain”, and that they will be taking their grouses to the Office of the Public Defender.
“Is more than 30 years of my life I served my country, never miss a day from work, and after all of that I made the decision to retire from the JCF on the promise that if I took up the early retirement offer I would be fully compensated. Now almost two years have passed and still nothing has happened,” a 57-year-old complainant told Jamaica Observer recently.
He, like the other retirees quoted for this story, asked not to be named or photographed for fear of retribution.
“My life has now fallen into shambles,” the frail-looking man added, with tears freely flowing.
He showed a document from a financial institution warning that his house would be placed on auction within a few days if he did not make outstanding payments.
According to another, who said he retired after 35 years of service, his daughter is in need of life-saving surgery which he’s not able to afford.
“I don’t know where to turn. As a big man I cry so much time,” he said. “I can’t cry anymore.”
A 59-year-old retiree said his case was so dire he could no longer find basic items such as food.
“I credit from the shops in my area so much, promising them that I would get my pension,” he said. “I am now afraid to go back home to face this embarrassing situation.” He too served in the JCF for over 30 years.
“It hard to see me spend all my life serving a cause, risking life and limb to serve and protect; and what do we get?” he said before breaking down.
He claimed that many of his former colleagues died waiting on the promised payment.
To make matters worse, the retirees said, they have received reports that some who were late applicants to the early retirement incentive programme have been receiving payments ahead of them.
However, Lucius Thomas, the former commissioner of police — who heads the welfare committee reviewing, among other things, the pension of retired policemen and women — has sought to clarify the issue.
Thomas explained that Cabinet last year approved payment of approximately $420 million, which is to be made in two tranches in the budget years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Thomas, who is acting as mediator between the retired police and the ministry, said the first tranche was paid out in June and August of this year.
However, he said that authorities were faced with a situation when the payments were being made. He said a number of retirees had to be moved up on the list because of emergencies, including medical difficulties and their children being de-listed from universities. This, he said, resulted in the current delay in payment complained of by other retirees.
But the complaining officers were irate over the explanation, saying they had their own emergencies, and lamented the fact that the next set of payment will not be made until 2016. They said the matter should be investigated and are adamant that something is amiss.
However, Thomas said that nothing underhand occurred and is asking the disgruntled parties to seek clarification on the matter before making unfounded claims.
This is atrocious :marah Come on Lucius duh betta man.
So dem invigel di ppl dem fi retire cause dem never want to continue paying salary and benefits and it is glaringly obvious no money nuh deh fi pension eeda. What a piece a headworks dem puddung pon dem. God of grace I can’t even begin fi understand the turmoil dem going through, house in foreclosure almost, operation caan pay fah and even simple food fi eat caan buy; JCF HR dept. need a shakeup. And dem lame excuse bout ppl haffi move up list, uh??? Like organize unno damn selves and run di department properly, too many inept ppl eena position and dem cannot do dem work. Shit eena hog pen unno shoulda a shovel bout unno running HR and pension disbursement.