Not enough

Representatives of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) failed to give sufficient assurance, during the first of three national debates, that they will move away from a zero per cent wage offer made to agitated public-sector workers, one union leader has opined.

St Patrice Ennis, president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), said that “what we need to hear is a firm movement away from offering zero per cent to public-sector workers”.

“We need to hear that this administration or the other – should they form the government – that they are not offering zero per cent to public-sector workers,” Ennis told The Gleaner yesterday.

“That would be a good start.”

Amid a tough re-election campaign, the Government is locked in wage talks with public-sector employees represented by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), the Jamaica Civil Service Association and the Police Federation.

The JTA has disclosed that the Government offered a four-year deal that included zero per cent in year one and 2.5 per cent in each of the remaining years.

It is unclear whether that was the same offer to other categories of public servants.

The offer comes more than a year after parliamentarians granted themselves an average 200 per cent salary increase.

The disparity between the increase granted to lawmakers and the offer to public servants was among the issues that surfaced during Saturday’s first political debate between teams from the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the main Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Kamina Johnson Smith, who was part of the JLP’s three-member team, said the administration understands concerns about the cost of living that is impacting Jamaican households and is “committed to doing our best, within the affordability of our economy, to do the best by our public servants”.

“The Jamaica Labour Party has been responsible for the largest increase to public-sector wages in the history of independent Jamaica,” she said.

“Do we want to be able to pay more? Absolutely, and we are committed to ensuring that we work with all stakeholders to ensure fiscal stability, the health of the economy, so all workers can be paid fairly without destabilising the economy,” said Johnson Smith, who is also minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade.

‘A listening ear’

Damion Crawford, a member of the PNP’s three-member debate team, said public-sector employees “will know that they have a listening ear” should the PNP emerge victorious in the September 3 general election.

He zeroed in on teachers in the public sector, saying “one thing we can guarantee is that we don’t believe they are worth zero, as the Jamaican Labour Party has suggested,” said Crawford, who is also opposition spokesman on education.

“Zero per cent wage offer suggests that the teachers are worth nothing. The police are doing a wonderful job, the teachers are doing an excellent job, the nurses are doing a wonderful job, and we will ensure equity in treatment as we treat ourselves.”

However, Ennis, the JCTU president, said the responses from the two political parties did not give enough assurance to public servants that “we are not really contemplating a zero per cent offer”.

“It would even be better if they could indicate what is the percentile amount that they are offering to public-sector workers, because public-sector workers are now restive and are not going to accept zero per cent in any year of their contract of employment,” he warned.

“And that is to be made abundantly clear. That is not going to happen, and that is not an agreement that can be signed by the confederation of trade unions.”

Protection of the Jamaican environment and the widespread use of fixed-term contracts across the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector were among other critical national issues raised during the debate.

The watchdog group Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) complained yesterday that a question it posed during the debate, seeking details about stronger efforts to clamp down on polluters and pollution incidents “was not really answered”.

The question comes months after the collapse of separate criminal cases that were filed against two private entities accused of polluting the St Catherine-based Rio Cobre.

Theresa Rodriquez Moodie, executive director of JET, noted the assurance from the PNP that Jamaica would ratify the Escazú Agreement if the party forms the next government after the elections.

This, she said, is important to ensuring transparency and public participation in environmental matters.

She noted, too, that the JLP “pointed to past actions” the party has taken.

“Jamaica urgently needs clear commitments on how enforcement will be strengthened going forward,” she said.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com