KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Chairman of the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission, Silvera Castro, said that a recommendation on the national minimum wage and the minimum wage for security guards is to be submitted to the Labour Minister, Derrick Kellier, no later than the end of October.

“Due consideration will be given and it will go to Cabinet. Cabinet will deliberate and then take it to Parliament,” said Castro.

He was speaking to JIS News at the Labour Ministry in Kingston on Wednesday, where the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission concluded a series of regional consultations on the minimum wage.

Discussions got underway in August in Montego Bay, and sessions have been held in Mandeville, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio.

Castro said the stakeholders seemed to have found the discussions useful. “The public has been more educated and has taken the state of the economy into consideration in making their submissions,” he said.

Castro said in making its recommendations, “we want to ensure that we do not displace any worker or disrupt the economy either. We will be very balanced in our recommendation to the Minister.”

During the final leg of the consultations, recommendations came from various trade unionists, security guards, heads of security agencies and the Jamaica Employer’s Federation.

Increases of between seven and 15 per cent were recommended to the Commission by various presenters.

The figures were in line with the 13.3 per cent proposed by Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Labour Market Analyst, Deidre Coy, in her contribution.

However, Head of the Jamaica Security Guard Association, Wayne Hanchard, suggested an increase of 30 per cent.

The National Minimum Wage was last increased in January 2014, moving from $5,000 to $5, 600 for a 40-hour work week. The Minimum Wage for Industrial Security Guards was also increased by 12 per cent, moving from $7,320.40 to $8,198.80 per 40-hour work week.