WHILE applauding the Government for an increase in the salary of security guards, deejay Militant said it’s only a drop in the bucket, given Jamaica’s fast-moving inflation rate.

During the period from 1979 to 2020, the average inflation rate was 25.6 per cent per year. An item that costs $100 dollar in 1979, costs $30,153.28 in the beginning of 2020.

“It is a miracle surviving on the salaries I hear security guards are getting. How do they really pay their bills? What can they buy from the wholesalers who seem to change their price tags almost every single week? Secondly, some of these security guards work in or close to volatile areas which makes them easy targets for criminals. I believe the minimum wage for security guards should be at least $15,000 a week with allowances, such as lunch and uniform,” said Militant.

Labour Minister Carl Samuda recently announced a 28.5 per cent increase in the national minimum wage, effective April 1, 2022. This is a movement from $7 to $9 per 40-hour work week. At the same time, the minimum wage of security guards doing a 40-hour work week is moved to $10, 500 from $9,700.

Militant, given name Cedric Moodie, is currently working on a compilation music video for several of his songs.

“This is a very significant part of my music career because the production of these videos are full with excitement, drama and true-to-life experience. The director, Leon Silvera of LAS Creative Studio, has a reputation for making first-class videos,” he said.

Militant — who grew up between White Hall (Kingston 8) and Litte Kew Road (Kingston 5) — attended Oberlin High in St Andrew.

“My journey in music is very much influenced by my relatives. My dad, for example, is a sound selector while two of my uncles and a brother are full-fledged musicians, so when I migrated to the US in 2013, I fell in the hands of musicians,” he added.