Nial Sheehy, head of Digicel Business, greets Labour Minister Pearnel Charles at the Digicel booth. Charles was on a tour of the exhibits at the JEF Convention at Sunset Jamaica Grande shortly after declaring the convention open. - Photo by Carl Gilchrist
Labour Minister Pearnel Charles says workers earning the minimum wage cannot get more than the 10 per cent they were granted on May 11 as employers cannot afford it.
At the same time, Charles says Government cannot afford to pay public-sector workers more, as that would require the imposition of more taxes, which would 'kill' the public.
"They can't get more for minimum wage, otherwise the employer will have to cut the workday to four, as they can't afford any more," Charles told the opening session of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) Convention 2009 at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa on Thursday night.
On April 30, Minister Charles announced that on May 11, the minimum wage would move from $3,700 to $4,070 per week, an increase of $370.
There was also an increase in the minimum wage for industrial security guards, the figure moving from $5,500 per week to $6,050.
Batting for the Government, Charles said: "We are saying this Government has a responsibility to look at the present situation, assess where we're going, and how we can move forward. We are going to do what has to be done in the interest of Jamaica."
Charles, addressing the JEF conference for the second straight year, also disclosed that his ministry was to embark on a programme to get workers re-skilled and multi-skilled to make them more marketable and efficient.
After declaring the convention open, the minister, accompanied by JEF officials, toured the nearly 40 exhibits.
Buzzwords
Meanwhile, in her message marking what is the JEF's 27th annual business and workplace convention, Chief Executive Officer Brenda Cuthbert said although 'recession', 'cutting back' and 'redundancy' had been buzzwords this year, the JEF remained committed to acting in the best interests of Jamaican employers at all times, and would continue
to address workplace issues at every level.
The four-day convention, under the theme 'Succeeding in Turbulent Times: Partnerships, Performance, Productivity,' featured some 50 local and international speakers and presenters.