Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter
Political analysts have offered contrasting views on whether parliamentarians should wait until government has completed wage negotiations with other public sector workers before accepting their 15-17.5 per cent salary increase.
Government is yet to settle wage negotiations with the island's nurses, police, teachers and doctors. In that context, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding said publicly that Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) were willing to forego their wage increases until the negotiations with these groups were completed.
Grossly unfair
"It seems grossly unfair at this time when we have so many public sector workers who are obviously grossly underpaid having to literally be going on their knees begging the Government for an increase," argued political commentator, Lloyd B. Smith. "And if the parliamentarians are to go ahead and give themselves this increase, it would be an immoral act."
He argued that the Opposition's stance on the matter would allow them to gain some political mileage.
He added that it would be credible if the Government MPs were to go along.
"But because of the nature of our politics, it is not likely to happen," Smith noted. "I think someone in the Senate should move for a conscience vote on this matter."
Separate issues
Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, executive director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) believes the negotiations with the nurses, teachers, police and doctors were separate issues from the increases that are due to parliamentarians.
She argued that the parliamen-tarians' salaries have been frozen for some four years and if there was an agreement, they should go ahead and process it.
"We do understand the sensitivity of the timing and how it will appear, but I think that we are to take the principled position if we are to agree that these increases would be done and the Government is able to pay the increases to the Members of Parliament," she said.
But Danny Roberts, vice-president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions said the Opposition's position was commendable.
"I think it is an eminent position, if the parliamentarians were to do that. Parliamentarians come to public office on a notion of sacrifice and selflessness," he posited. "Therefore, if parliamentarians were really to wait until we have settled on all the other public sector workers before getting an increase, I would have no difficulty with that," said Robertson.
Sheer opportunism
In contrast, Lambert Brown, president of the University and Allied Workers' Union (UAWU) was very critical of the Opposition.
"What is at play here is not a genuine concern about salary," said Brown. "I heard one Opposition Member on Friday morning on the radio saying that when he gets his pay from Parliament, he is negative each month, yet he is saying at the same time that they should not pay the increase. I think this is just sheer opportunism."
Mr. Brown said that parliamen-tarians are reluctant to accept the increase because it is a sensitive issue. "People are (going to) say parson is christening himself, not even him pickney first."
Findings of study
He was echoing the findings of the Oliver Clarke-led committee which studied conditions of employment of parlimentarians three years ago.
"One of the fascinating things that I found is that parliamentarians are actually hesitant to advocate for themselves and for Parliament," Clarke said in a previous interview with The Sunday Gleaner. "I think this is because for some reason, parliamentarians feel that the public is against improving these facilities."
In 2002, parliamentarians received a 103 per cent salary hike.
The increase was linked to a general increase for civil servants, aimed at bringing their wages to 80 per cent of those paid in the private sector for comparable work.
Current salary
Prime Minister
