Jamaica working to establish livable wage standard

This was announced by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda, during a recent virtual press conference.

Following the Minister’s announcement, Chairman of the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission, Dr. Ronald Robinson, who also addressed the conference, said work is being done to move the island towards a livable wage standard.

“We have commissioned and engaged the services of competent individuals from the university to work with us to address some of these very fundamental issues,” Dr. Robinson said.

He added that a series of consultations will be held on the matter. However, he is calling on citizens to have an appreciation for the complexities as it relates to the issue.

“As you can understand, it is not a very simple issue, and so all the economic parameters, macro and micro, and all of the conditions must be taken into consideration before arriving at that figure because we are a developing country with a peculiar set of issues,” Dr. Robinson outlined.

The minimum wage refers to the lowest wage permitted by law, while a livable or living wage is a socially acceptable level of income that provides adequate coverage for necessities such as food, shelter, child services, and healthcare.

During the press conference, Mr. Samuda also announced an increase in the minimum wage for industrial security guards, which will move from $9,700 to $10,500 per 40-hour work week, along with accompanying allowances. This will also come into effect on April 1.