The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

STARTING from July, new employees of uniform branches would have to pay $700 monthly to include their spouses and children in their government-sponsored insurance policies, according to Police Staff Association Chairman Ricardo Walkes.

Associations representing the police and other uniformed branches are expected to meet this week to discuss the government’s new insurance coverage policy for future employees.

An April 26 memorandum signed by Financial Secretary Simon Wilson said Cabinet approved an amendment to the medical insurance policy, mandating that it only cover employees, not their spouses and children, effective July 1, 2023. The policy will not apply to officers hired before July 1.

In a statement last week, the Ministry of National Security said the current insurance scheme is costly, with a bill of $80m per year.

Mr Walkes, however, told The Tribune the policy shift “sends a bad message” about how much the government values uniform branch workers.

“For members who go out there, put their lives on the line, there could be an injury, something catastrophic happens; there could be something similar to contracting COVID-19 while on duty and then they take it home to their family,” he said. “The insurance would cover the police officer, but not the family, even though he took that same thing home to his house. It could be detrimental, so we need to be proactive towards what’s going to happen.”

Mr Walkes rejected the idea that current police officers receive generous insurance benefits.

“It’s something that is really needed,” he said. “In fact, there should be some improvements on it.”

Asked how much new officers would pay to cover their spouses and children, he said: “For dependence coverage, the payment is somewhere around $700 to $800 monthly. To me, that’s crazy. That’s why I’m trying right now to get the government to rethink the position that they made because that’s a figure that the average young person, someone just joining the serving, a married person, that would be difficult for a family to be able to govern.”

He said new police officers make about $2,000 a month.

He said he has tried but failed to reach Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander to discuss the matter.

“There were no talks, there were no consultations,” he said. “I spoke to persons from other associations and other unions and I’ve been informed there were no consultations at all so everyone was just as surprised when we saw the document that came out from the Ministry of Finance.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe defended the policy shift yesterday, saying uniform officers are the only government employees to receive free insurance coverage for their families.

“I don’t understand why people get so bent out of shape about it,” he said. “The nurses don’t get it, teachers don’t get it, ordinary public servants don’t even get single coverage. Police only get single coverage because their jobs are dangerous. How does that justify including the family? And, I wouldn’t want to say it, if somebody is in the service now, they have it. That would only be effective for people who join the service. It’s not going to have an immediate effect. This is a long-term thing. Could you imagine if they didn’t have family coverage? With $80m we could’ve probably given every civil servant, every teacher, every nurse single coverage.”

As for why the government did not consult the PSA and other associations, Mr Munroe said the groups only represent serving officers, not the future officers who would be affected. He also said they are not trade unions.

“If we were affecting any entitlement of a serving police officer, then, of course, I would’ve spoken with them,” he said.