Thu | Mar 28, 2024

'I will be the first to go'

Maragh promises to quit if councillors get raw deal in compensation review

Published:Friday | April 14, 2023 | 1:39 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
Winston Maragh, president of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica.
Winston Maragh, president of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica.

WESTERN BUREAU: Winston Maragh, president of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGAJ), has said that he is prepared to be the first councillor to resign if political representatives serving in the island's 14 municipal...

WESTERN BUREAU:

Winston Maragh, president of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGAJ), has said that he is prepared to be the first councillor to resign if political representatives serving in the island's 14 municipal corporations do not get a favourable increase after the public sector compensation review.

Maragh was speaking with The Gleaner on Thursday shortly after Councillor Cebert McFarlane called for his resignation during the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC).

McFarlane, who represents the Leamington division, charged during Thursday's meeting that Maragh has not been representing the best interests of the nation’s councillors, especially on the matter of salaries and other welfare needs.

“I think the ALGAJ president has placed us in a position where we can only believe that there is no other option than to say that he should go ... . I cannot even say he has not done so well … . He has not represented the interests of councillors,” said McFarlane.

ALGAJ is the representative organisation established to look after the interest and welfare of local government authorities. It is mandated to advance local government matters to include salaries, welfare, and general reform. Its membership is drawn from councillors and mayors of the 14 local municipal bodies.

In his defence, Maragh said that the negotiations were still taking place, so it would be unfair to blame him for something that has not happened.

“The negotiations continue, so there are no grounds for me to resign until we meet with the minister," he said, referencing Finance and the Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke.

"If when we meet with the minister of finance, nothing comes out of that, then I will be the first to go,” said Maragh, who is the mayor of May Pen and chairman of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation.

Maragh reiterated that Clarke has repeatedly said that he would not meet with any political representatives until he signs off with all civil servants under the compensation review.

“Every mayor is a member of the ALGAJ executive, and we meet monthly, so the mayor should be the one to update the councillors on the discussions and decisions taken,” said Maragh as he pushed back at claims that he has not been providing updates to councillors.

Ian Myles, councillor for Little London Division, who took issue with Maragh at the WMC meeting, saying that the ALGAJ boss should apologise for allegedly claiming that the request for an increase in salaries is being initiated by councillors from the Peoples National Party, the ALGA boss said there is no need for an apology.

“I do not know if I should apologise because that is what is happening in Clarendon. That is what I have seen there. I can only speak to what I see,” said Maragh.

Up to March 21, some 95 per cent of the nation's public sector workers had accepted new wage offers from the Government.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com