By Vernon Daley, Staff ReporterTHE UMBRELLA group for the island's trade unions is lobbying the Government to break the link between the salaries of senior civil servants and those of politicians.
In a statement on the weekend, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) attacked the basis of the recent pay hike for parliamentarians and councillors and called for a review in the way these salaries are calculated.
"The continued practice of politicians arrogating onto themselves exorbitant salary increases while offering other public officials three or four per cent can only serve to undermine good governance," the JCTU said.
Contacted yesterday a number of politicians, however, rejected the JCTU's call, and in one case argued that severing the link between the salaries would signal a "retrograde step".
Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, and general secretary of the governing People's National Party (PNP), suggested that the link between the salaries of civil servants and politicians conformed to all the principles of good administration.
"You have to have a link between those who have a certain level of responsibility and those for whom they have responsibility," she argued.
She added that the executive responsibility that Cabinet Ministers have is greater than any other group in the public and private sectors and, as such, they should be compensated for the functions they perform and not be vilified for their earnings. "We need to stop the
expediency when it suits us," the Minister said. The annual salary for a Cabinet Minister is fixed at $52 more than that of a Permanent Secretary. There is also a link between the salary of a Cabinet Minister and other parliamentarians. By extension, parish councillors also benefit when the salaries of civil servants are increased. A 1973 parliamentary committee headed by Leslie Ashenheim recommended the formula.
Last year, salaries for the 60 Members of Parliament were raised 16 per cent moving their pay from $1.9 million to $2.2 million. This set off a hail of public criticism and sparked calls for the salaries to be rolled back.
Between 1999 and this year, the salaries of MPs have increased by just over 100 per cent. Their salaries were increased from $1.08 million to $1.2 million in 1999. It then jumped to $1.9 million in 2001. However, the MPs continued to receive the old salary of $1.08 million up until July last year when the adjustments were made.
Derrick Smith, deputy leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Leader of Opposition Business in the House, also rejected the JCTU's call.
"It would be a retrograde step," he said. "This was not a fly-by-night decision. It's one that was arrived at after careful study."
However, the JCTU said in its statement that the Government has no moral authority to retain the level of salary increases while offering public sector employees increases less than the present rate of inflation.
It said that increases at all levels in the public sector should be based on performance and efficiency.
"Political representatives should be held more accountable on a regular basis for their stewardship and the people should be able to see some link between their performance and pay," the JCTU said.
