Will JLP's minimum wage plan win over voters? Commentators weigh in

 

Political commentators are split on whether the Jamaica Labour Party's promise on Sunday night to double the national minimum wage could swing Wednesday's general election in favour of the party. 

 

JLP leader Dr. Andrew Holness announced on Sunday night that if re-elected, his government will gradually increase the national minimum wage from $16,000 to $32,000 for a 40-hour work week. 

 

Dr. Holness said the first increase to $18,500 would take effect in the first budget, with further hikes rolled out in the years ahead. 

 

Kevin O'Brien Chang and Lloyd B. Smith weighed in on the issue Monday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106. 

 

Mr. Chang believes the proposal could cause a shift in voter intention from the People's National Party (PNP) to Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) since there is a large group of Jamaicans who are minimum wage earners. 

 

"Don Anderson said, when he interviewed last week about why the PNP surged, he said the $3.5 million threshold that was announced by Mark Golding. That affects 110,000 people. According to the AI, 650,000 people right now earn less than $18,500," he pointed out. 

 

Mr. Chang argued that based on the PNP's lead in the polls, it could win the election by approximately 36,000 votes, but if the minimum wage plan shifts even 10 per cent of the 650,000 people who currently earn less than $18,500, then this will pull the JLP ahead.

 

Still, Lloyd B. Smith said he does not believe the JLP's promise to raise the minimum wage will have any major effect before election day. 

 

"I always have a problem when politicians talk about phased, because phased could take you to the next century and at the same time, there is an upper side to all of this which I am concerned about. For example, domestic helpers as we call them. They are the ones who usually tend to benefit, in my estimation, from minimum wage increases. But the other side to that coin is the affordability, let's say, for example, of teachers, policemen, civil servants and others to be able to pay them out of their salaries. This thing needs a greater level of debate," he contended.