PRIME Minister P J Patterson yesterday announced a freeze on any further salary hikes to parliamentarians pending a report from a committee that will review the formula for determining the pay of legislatures and members of the political executive.

The committee comprises:

* Oliver Clarke, the president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica;

* Corrine McLarty, a fomer executive director of JAMPRO;

* Tony Lewers;

* Charles Defour, Roman Catholic Bishop of Montego Bay; and

* Lascelles Perry, labour relations consultant.

Patterson's announcement, which has the backing of the Opposition, comes in the face of a public backlash against a recent 103 per cent rise in the pay of parliamentarians, which included adjustments that should have been made in April 2001.

The immediate impact of the move will be that parliamentarians will not benefit in April from the second 20 per cent tranche of the amounts being paid to civil servants to bring their salaries to 80 per cent of what prevails in the private sector by 2005.

Civil servants, to whose salaries those of legislators are linked, received the first 20 per cent of the parity cover in October and the receipt of their portion in January contributed to the embarrassment of politicians.

"Until the report of the committee has been submitted and considered by this Parliament there will be a suspension of any further adjustments to the salaries of parliamentarians that would otherwise be due in accordance with the prevailing (pay) formula," Patterson said.

No timetable was announced for the committee to report on its findings debate so it was unclear whether this would happen when the third tranche of the civil parity pay -- 30 per cent of the 80 per cent of market -- is due in April next year. The final 30 per cent is payable in April 2005.

Patterson in his parliamentary statement explained that it was the delayed payment in January 2003 to Parliamentarians and ministers of Government of the first adjustment that pushed their salary increases to 103 per cent. He added that the payments in January also reflected new "anomaly adjustment" rates for senior civil servants and ministers of government.

The finance ministry, he disclosed, had delayed the payment of the anomaly adjustments, which were due 19 months ago, until last November, and the payment of the retroactive salary increase in January 2003.

"The size and timing of the payments have created the impression that parliamentarians are being granted excessive increases without sufficient justification," Patterson said.

Patterson, in a clear swipe at trade unions that have called for a de-linking of the salaries of parliamentarians from those of civil servants, said he expected those who have made such demands "to make their presentations before the committee and to propose suitable alternatives".

The Opposition lined up behind the Government on the matter and blamed the 10-year delay in making the market adjustments to civil servants for "an embarrassingly huge regrading at this time".

"The Opposition cannot support any further massive increase in the package for parliamentarians," Opposition leader Edward Seaga told Patterson in a letter circulated to the press. "To ensure this, we wish future adjustments to emoluments to be suspended pending the report of the committee."

Seaga's letter was in reply to one from the prime minister informing the Opposition of his intention to set up the review committee.

The Opposition leader asked Davies in the House what would be the salary figure for parliamentarians after the final market adjustment was applied. Davies promised to present the information to the legislature at its next sitting and he stressed that the payment of the four tranches was not compounded.

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