KINGSTON, Jamaica–A future People’s National Party (PNP) Administration will treat the approximately 110,000 public sector workers with “dignity and respect”, says Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Julian Robinson.

“You won’t need to threaten strike action to get a meeting with me. You won’t need to become restive just to ensure that your voice can be heard,” Robinson pledged.

Speaking at the PNP’s Kingston and St Andrew parish rally in Cross Roads, St Andrew on Saturday night, Robinson said the PNP will also ensure that the voice of public sector employees is heard at the negotiating table.

Touching on the ongoing wage negotiations between the government and public sector groups, Robinson lambasted the zero per cent offer being put forward by the finance ministry in the first year of the four-year wage offer.

“Zero per cent is an insult to our public sector workers,” Robinson stated.

“We have looked at the budget, and we know and we will do better for you because you deserve better than zero per cent,” he added.

According to Robinson, the public sector compensation wage review of two to three years ago has “led to some public servants being worse off than they were before”.

“It has created some anomalies where two people are doing the same job, but one is worse off than another”. I am giving you my commitment and the commitment of the People’s National Party that all those issues that arose from the compensation review we will fix them to ensure that there is equity and justice for every single public sector worker,” Robinson pledged.

Further, he assured police officers, firefighters, security guards, and hospitality workers that the next PNP-led government will remove taxes on their overtime payments, to ensure that they take home more money.

“We will ease the pressure that you face,” the PNP politician promised.