By Vernon Daley, Staff Reporter
Attorneys-at-law Marvalyn Taylor-Wright (left) and Nancy Anderson hold on to their placards as they are led away from the precincts of the House of Representatives, Gordon House, Kingston by the police during yesterday's demonstration. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson has suspended further salary increases to parliamentarians pending the recommendations of a five-member committee set up to review their salaries.
At the same time, government has had to shell out about $91 million in retroactive salaries to the parliamentarians who have received hefty wage hikes over the past two years.
Mr. Patterson announced the formation of the review committee in the House of Representatives yesterday, against the background of a raging controversy over a recent salary hike for parliamentarians and projections for further increases.
"I believe that the time has come once again for a careful consideration of how these adjustments were made, the basis for the size of recent increases and an assessment of how the levels of responsibility should be rewarded," the Prime Minister told the House.
The members of the committee, who have been agreed to by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), include Corrine McLarty, company director; Tony Lewars, senior consultant, PriceWaterhouseCoopers; Monsignor Charles Defour, Roman Catholic Bishop of Montego Bay; and trade unionist, Las Perry.
There is also agreement on the person who should chair the committee, but the Prime Minister said the individual has asked for 24 hours to consult family and friends before agreeing to take up the responsibility.
No time frame has yet been set for the committee to commence or complete its work. However, among the issues that it will be asked to consider is whether the current formula for calculating the salaries of parliamentarians should be maintained, changed or totally abandoned.
Currently, the salaries of parliamentarians are pegged to those of civil servants by a formula which was recommended by a 1973 parliamentary committee headed by Leslie Ashenheim.
Under the formula a Cabinet Minister is paid $52 more than a Permanent Secretary. At the same time, the Prime Minister is paid 33.3 per cent more than the Cabinet Minister while the Deputy Prime (if one is appointed) is paid 16.65 per cent above a Cabinet Minister.
Members of Parliament who do not carry Ministerial responsibilities are paid 37.5 per cent below a Cabinet Minister.
Salaries for parliamentarians have doubled over the last three years - moving from $1.08 million in 1999 to $2.2 million in 2002. The last increase was granted in October last year. However, the Prime Minister has put on hold a 20 per cent adjustment due on April 1, 2003; a 20 per cent movement due on April 1, 2004; and another 30 per cent adjustment which was scheduled for April 1, 2005.
"I expect all those who urge a delinking of the salaries to make their presentations before the committee and propose suitable alternatives," the Prime Minister added.
