By Garwin Davis, Assistant News EditorTHE JAMAICA Employers Federation (JEF) has no moral basis in which to call for the resignation of Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, whose criticism of the organisation was not "incorrect", Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has argued.
Responding to a question at the post-Cabinet press briefing on Monday, Mr. Patterson said he had no problem with the Finance Minister's comments regarding the JEF, noting that his Government has often been the subject of much abuse from various sectors.
"Isn't that a fact?" Mr. Patterson said, when reminded about Dr. Davies' remarks about the JEF.
"They have called for his resignation because he said that? You know, if I were to publicly respond to all the things that have been said against me and my Government by various sectors in the same intemperate and exaggerated fashion that some people and sectors do, it would be an unending thing," he said.
"We would be engaged in a perpetual interchange that would provide a constant barrage of accusation and counter-accusation against each other that would not create the environment that fosters harmony."
Dr. Davies, at a People's National Party (PNP) constituency conference last week, said the JEF was not in a position to criticise the Government, noting the organisation was responsible for a lot of the problem facing the financial sector.
"And when I hear all the Employers Federation... they know that I know what them make... but sometimes you just have to cool," the Minister said. "I know how much money them thief out of the financial sector. They have never heard me condemn it... I have never heard them take a position on that."
Asked last Thursday if he felt the attack on the JEF was warranted, Dr. Davies said he would not retract the comments.
"I can understand the unions' position on this issue but not the JEF," he said. "They are simply being hypocritical."
The issue the Minister was speaking of was the JEF's criticism of the Government's decision to grant a huge pay hike to Parliamentarians.
The JEF, in a tersely worded statement sent out on Monday, said the Minister's remarks regarding the organisation were unfortunate and called on him to apologise.
