#JLP79 | Gayle credits Holness admin with 'one of best increases' for gov't workers

President of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Kavan Gayle, says the Holness administration has spearheaded "one of the best increases for public sector workers" through the review of compensation for government workers. 

The senator made the declaration Sunday at the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) annual conference, where he credited Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke for working with unions to agree on new rates. 

According to him, the ruling party is responsive to the concerns of workers. 

“This is a party that cares about the working class, and we are not only a party that cares about the working class, we care about what the working class cares about... so, when dem (Opposition People's National Party) come to you and tell you 'time come', tell dem time nuh come yet because when we work, we don't waste time,” Gayle said. 

The restructuring of public sector compensation has not been smooth with government workers taking or threatening industrial action earlier this year. 

Last week, however, the finance ministry and unions representing over 60,000 workers signed an agreement on the new compensation package. Negotiations continue with police and teachers, among other groups. 

The finance ministry has agreed to a guaranteed minimum increase of 17.5 per cent on net pay for all public sector workers with effect from April 1, 2022. This is expected to be done over three years.

Mileage rate for travel officers is to be increased to $100 per kilometre, up from $56/km at present.

Meanwhile, the BITU boss also hailed the government for work in job creation and the reduction of unemployment to 6.6 per cent, one of the lowest in Jamaican history.

“This party has created jobs in tourism; we have created jobs in the BPO industry; we have created jobs in the manufacturing; we have created jobs in all factors of the society,” he told a massive crowd in the National Arena.

“But we not only understand that we must create jobs we also understand that we must educate the working class,” he said, before encouraging party supporters who are not yet trained and certified in a skill to utilise the offerings at the HEART/NSTA Trust, Jamaica's premier skills training agency. 

“And as a minimum wage worker it means when you get certified you have the opportunity to get other jobs to pay you better,” he asserted. 

In the meantime, he argued that the National Housing Trust, which reports to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, has created the most housing solutions in the history of Jamaica. 

“We create more mortgage solutions, we do more housing lots; house pon top a house under the JLP,” Gayle charged. 

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