‘You deserve better than zero per cent’

By: Kimone Francis

Image caption: Julian Robinson, opposition spokesman on finance.

Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson says if the People’s National Party (PNP) forms the government it will undertake a review of the compensation package implemented for public-sector workers.

Robinson was speaking at a PNP parish meeting for Kingston and St Andrew in Cross Roads on Saturday when he gave what he said is the party’s commitment.

Robinson argued that the review of public-sector salaries left some people worse off than they were before.

Further, he said there are several anomalies within the structure of the current package, where two people doing the same work are being compensated differently.

“I am giving you my commitment, and the commitment of the People’s National Party, that all those issues that arose from the compensation review, we will fix them to ensure that there is equity and justice for every single public-sector worker,” said Robinson.

“And I want to say to our policemen, to our firemen, to our security guards, to those who work in our hospitality sector, we have made a commitment that we will remove the taxes on your overtime pay so that you can take home more money, so that you can spend more money to send your children to school. We will ease the pressure that you face,” he added.

The Public Sector Compensation Review, which began in April 2022, was an overhaul of the structure of salaries and other emoluments in the public service to make them more equitable.

It was scheduled to get under way in April 2021 but was deferred by 12 months, largely due to resource constraints associated with the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process had been marked by contention over the Government giving a 30 per cent salary increase across the board to public-sector workers, while parliamentarians received a near-300 per cent increase.

In June, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions rejected a four-year offer from the Government which proposed no increase in basic salaries in year one and 2.5 per cent in each of the next three years.

Sunday deadline

On Friday, the negotiating team for the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) walked out of the wage talks with Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams and her team after giving the Government a deadline of midnight on Sunday to present a “substantially” improved salary offer.

Public-sector teachers have been without a wage deal since March 31 this year, when the previous agreement expired.

A new wage pact was expected to take effect on April 1.

Williams said she was disappointed with the JTA’s response, stating that there has been meaningful progress on several items in the association’s compensation claim.

Robinson said zero per cent in the first year is an insult to workers.

“We have looked at the Budget and we know we will do better for you, because you deserve better than zero per cent,” he said.

He said the economy under a PNP government would ensure that every Jamaican will be able to participate and feel at home.

“... Not an economy where a minority few do well but the vast majority don’t. And that is why we are committed to the reform of our education system, so that when every single child who leaves primary school, they must be able to read and write so that they can participate in building a better Jamaica,” said Robinson.

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