The Government made a major step forward late last year reaching agreement for $30.4 billion in back pay and new salaries for 60,000 public sector workers under its newly structured compensation scheme.

Much remains to be done, including a settlement with thousands of teachers represented by the Jamaica Teachers’ Associations (JTA).

President of the JTA, Mrs LaSonja Harrison says a special delegates’ meeting set for today will decide on a response to the Government’s wage offer following extensive consultations over recent times.

It’s well established that low salaries and poor working conditions have influenced the drift of teachers — especially in more specialised subject areas — to greener pastures overseas.

Of course, much the same is true for those in other specialised, essential areas including health and security.

In her latest comments to the Jamaica Observer, Mrs Harrison made pointed reference to the need for Government to ensure “retention of experienced and quality teachers”.

And further that “If we are serious about the sustenance of an education system, driven by Jamaican educators, then our Government really needs to rethink and come again.”

Thankfully nurses have already settled with Government on salaries for a new cycle. Like teachers, the police rank and file are yet to do so.

This newspaper and others have repeatedly discussed the obvious need to find a way, somehow, to better reward public sector workers, especially those in the essential services.

Yet, we all know that Jamaica’s debt-burdened, ‘bang belly’ economy won’t easily get to a stage at which our police, teachers, nurses, et al, will feel they are earning their due. An example of that is yesterday’s sick-out over salaries by some members of staff of the State news agency, the Jamaica Information Service.

We think it’s important to note, though, that in many, perhaps most cases, people do not leave Jamaica just because of the need for more pay.

We dare say, quality of life, well-being, inclusive of a sense of personal safety, orderliness in the wider society, and the overall environment, all come into play.

In that regard, we take note of encouraging reports in relation to crime and road safety as we exited the first month of 2023.

We are told by the Jamaica Constabulary Force that, from January 1 to 29, there were 86 murders across Jamaica. That’s obviously much too high. But, believe it or not, that’s a 37.2 per cent drop from 137 murders for the similar period last year. If the decline can be sustained, and even gain momentum, the Government will be able to claim its anti-crime strategies are bearing fruit.

Also the Road Safety Unit tells us that from January 1 to February 2 road deaths fell by 40 per cent relative to the similar period in 2022, while there were 23 fatal crashes in January this year compared to 37 for same month last year. Presumably, the encouraging news was linked to extra caution from road users triggered by the much-talked-about new Road Traffic Act which came into being on Wednesday.

We believe that if, as a society, we can nurture and sustain a greater sense of personal safety in all areas of life, that urge among our more productive and essential workers to pack up and leave will be much less.

For the greater good of us all, let’s build on those gains in January.