PUBLIC SECTOR WAGE FREEZE COMES AFTER 50% INCREASE

PUBLIC SECTOR WAGE FREEZE COMES AFTER 50% INCREASE

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has emphasized that the wage freeze for government workers will give the government some time to mend the economy. He was responding to a caller on his programme, Jamaica House Live last night (January 27).

"When we speak about a wage freeze, we are talking about government workers, who we are responsible for. ....In the two and a half years that we have been in government, we have increased that wage bill by 50%....The country now cannot go forward with further increases until the economy gets a chance to recover...What we are saying is you can now look to get a break to get the economy back in line, start producing again and get out of this recession."

The wage bill for the current fiscal year is $126 billion, an increase from $86 billion in 2007.