Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips has renewed his call for front line workers to receive hazard and hardship pay, as well as mental health counselling during their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have to try to provide additional reward because many of you who have to work 24/7, or 18 out of 24 hours, have to forego some of your other activities and we need to consider things like hazard pay where possible,” Phillips said in his remarks yesterday during a service at Webster Memorial United Church in St Andrew to pay tribute to Jamaica’s first responders during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The long hours have taken a toll not just on you but your families. Counselling is also an important element of the kind of support that we are called upon to give,” added Phillips.

He argued that another aspect of this social contract is safety and security, not only in the work environment, but in the communities where these critical workers reside and have to enter in the early and late hours of the day.

The Opposition leader first made the recommendation during a national broadcast in April, when he said personnel such as health care employees, public transportation workers, sanitation workers, and rank and file members of the security forces performing front line duties should be given a special risk and hardship payment, based on the risk to themselves and by extension their families.

According to Phillips, those at the helm [of the Government] have an obligation to these workers to provide good leadership and governance.

“All of us who lead must lead with a clear sense of the moral standard which must be protected in the country, because you’re also protected when there are proper standards of governance. It shouldn’t be that one set of people in our communities are making extreme and far-reaching sacrifices while there are others in positions of responsibility who seek personal benefit in the midst of our crisis,” declared Phillips.

The Opposition leader also made note of the fast-approaching reopening of schools, and underscored that another set of workers will be on the front line as the Government pushes ahead with opening up the country.

“New front lines in the crisis are going to emerge. The one that is imminent now involves the reopening of our schools.. our teachers will be on the front line, our children will be on that front line, and collectively we all have an obligation to ensure that September morning doesn’t cause too much trauma or hardship on those who now have to confront the heat of the battle,” said Phillips.