It's pay-up time
published: Wednesday | November 27, 2002
THE EDITOR, Sir:
JAMAICANS PAY more for goods and services in most cases than our American counterparts. Yet if one should analyse the current salary structure, one would see (as we all know) how underpaid workers are in Jamaica.
My point is, if you can charge US prices for your goods and services, then why can't you pay US salaries to your workers?
The minimum salary in Jamaica should be $150 per hour, which comes to about US$3 per hour. There are kids working at McDonalds in the US making more than $5 per hour. It is time to start paying the labour force what it is worth and what it needs to survive. P.J. Patterson, are you paying attention? It is time for a minimum hourly wage.