KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Works Robert Morgan has charged that there are elements within the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) whose sole aim is to undermine the success of the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) programme.

Morgan made the charge during a recent interview with Observer Online.

He was responding specifically to claims made by Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) that contractors on the SPARK were paying labourers below minimum wage.

Both the MP for Clarendon Northern, Wavell Hinds and St Mary Central, Omar Newell, told Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee last Wednesday that they have proof that labourers were being paid below the National Minimum Wage which is currently $16,000 weekly.

Morgan is not convinced about the accuracy of the claims and believes there are persons within the PNP who are uneasy about the success of the $45 billion multi-year programme which has been described as the most ambitious road work programme in Jamaica’s history. It will see over 600 community/local and main roads rehabilitated to international standards that will allow for a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years.

During the PAAC meeting, Hinds asked the Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency, E.G. Hunter whether payments for workers on SPARK, including liaison officers, tradesmen and labourers, were standardised. “I asked the question because the fees offered to the workers is sometimes below minimum wage and when I press the contractor or the persons on the work, they say that’s the rate they get from above and they can’t change it. And that’s what they’ve been using”.

As part of his response, Hunter stated that payments below the minimum wage would be illegal. He said the minimum wage is the law and the Ministry of Labour should be informed if the law is not being applied.

At this point, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams, intervened and urged MPs to provide information to the Ministry where they are aware that workers were being paid below the minimum wage.

“As holder of the contract on behalf of Government, I certainly would want to be aware of those specific cases so that we can take that up with the contractor,” said Williams.

“Just for the record, I’m aware of the contractor offering to employ at below the minimum wage. I was called and intervened as a citizen, at the time I was not Member of Parliament. With the support of the [then] Member of Parliament, I went in and had a conversation and I advised the contractor that the rate was in violation of Jamaica’s labour laws in terms of the minimum wage. And I further told him that even though I was asked to help him to find labour, I would play no part in it if he’s offering to pay below minimum wage,” said Newell.

“And I threatened to shut down the work site, I did,” he said to protestations from Clarke.

“I threatened to call in the Ministry of Labour and to make a complaint and my understanding is that if someone is being plaid below the minimum wage in Jamaica, that Ministry of Labour would come in and the effect would be to shut down the site,” Newell clarified.

Morgan is now insisting that the PNP put up or shut up.

“Several of them have made accusations that the contractors are paying below the legal rate and I have personally asked them every time they come with it; they came with it at Standing Finance and none of them has yet been willing to provide any evidence that the contractor is paying below minimum wage,” said a frustrated Morgan.

“But what they’ve sought to do is that there’s a consistent effort by some members in political circles to undermine the success of SPARK. SPARK is the most impactful road rehabilitation programme Jamaica has ever seen. We’re going to be fixing 400 roads under one programme, we’ve never done that before and I think a lot of members of the Opposition are very uncomfortable with the Government being able to say we fixed 400 roads, we fixed six roads to international standard in each constituency. And that’s the problem”.

— LYNFORD SIMPSON