BUSTAMANTE INDUSTRIAl TRADE UNION98-100 Duke Street, P.O. Box 383, Kingston, Jamaica, w.1.

Phone: (876) 922-2443-6· Fax: (876) 967-0120Cable: BITU· E-mail: bitu@cwjamaica.com

General Secretary/Treasurer: George Fyffe, O.D., J.P.• Asst. General Secretary: Shandra Harriott (Ms.)

Founder: Rt. Ex. Sir Alexander Bustarnante, G.B.E., Ll.D. Most Hon. Hugh L. Shearer, O.N., O.J., Ll.D. (Han)

Immediate Past President:Rudyard Spencer, A.Sc., 0.0

President:Kavan Gayle, 0.0.

Snr. Vice President:Wesley Nelson, 0.0.

Vice Presidents:Alvin SinclairAlden Brown

Island Supervisor/Asst. Treasurer:Wycliffe Matthews, O.D., J.P.

Asst. Island Supervisor:Harold BrownGeorge Nicholas

Area Supervisors:Brenda TaylorSebert Davis. O.D., J.P.

AFFILIATIONS:Jamaica Confederation ofTrade Unions (JCTU)

International Confederation ofFree Trade Unions (ICFTU)

Caribbean Congress of Labour(CCL)

Union Network International (UNI)

International Union of Food (IUF)

International Transport Federation(ITF)

Building and Wood Workers'International (8WI)

PRESS RELEASE

fO. IMMEDIATEIlWASE

: ALL MEDIA HOUSESTO

FROM : MR. WESLEY NELSON; O.D.SNR. VICE PRESIDENT

DATE : 2012 JULy 6

SUBJECT FORRATES

NOFOR

:BITU REJECTS PROPOSALINCREASE IN MINIMUMSECURITYGUARDS

The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) has criticised thesuggestion by Jamaica Society for Industrial Security (JSIS) spokesman,Lt. Commander George Overton, that the National Minimum WageAdvisory Commission (NMW AC) should not recommend any increase inminimum rates paid to industrial security guards this year.

The union said that it has taken note of the arguments put forward by therepresentatives of the JSIS at Thursday's meeting of the NMW AC, thatany increase in the current minimum rates would affect the viability of theindustry.

According to BlTU President, Kavan Gayle, it is inhumane to suggest thatthese workers, a large number of which are women who head householdsincluding children, should continue to be paid rates implemented inFebruary, 2011, despite the increases in the cost of living since then, andthe projection for inflation of between 10% and 12% this year primarily

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Press ReleaseAll Media Houses2012 July 6BITU rejects proposal for no increase in minimum rates for Security Guards

due to the tax: measures introduced by the Government in the 2012/13budget and the GeT added to the prices of basic food items.

"It is hard to imagine that companies which hire this group of workingpoor should be so heartless as to seek to deny them even the minorimprovements being suggested at the minimum wage consultations, inlight of the projections for cost of living increases as high as 12 percentthis year," Mr. Gayle said.

He also described as arrogant the fact that the security companies couldhave made this recommendation to the NMW AC, without even providinginformation on their fmancial health.

Mr. Gayle has called on the cabinet not to allow those sentiments toinfluence their final decision on an increase in the security guardsminimum rates, and recalled that most security companies are contractedto government ministries and agencies, while their employees continueperform in the worse imaginable conditions experienced by Jamaicanworkers.

He said that the BITU has been advocating for years that reinstituting theJoint Industrial Council, which formerly represented the security guards,and removing their pay issue from the terms of reference of the NMW AC,were the best possible solutions to their pay and working conditionsIssues.

Mr. Gayle said that the trade unions would not support a decision by theCommission not to increase the payment provisions for the securityguards.

-end-

Contact: Mr. Wesley Nelson; O.D.Snr. Vice PresidentTel: (876) 922-2443-6 or (876) 827-4206 (mobile)