Government must wheel and come again

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am a Jamaican university student studying in Canada and like other students here, I am outraged that the Jamaican Government is so unconscionable and unjust to bully teachers and other professionals to accept far less than their due compensation and award themselves outrageously high and undeserving salary increases of more than 200 per cent.

Not to mention authorising the extraordinary compensation increase of 300 per cent to the governor general, who represents the King of England; a governor general that Jamaicans everywhere reject in favor of a republic.

What a slap in our faces!

Many students will not return to Jamaica to work unless there is more equity. The gap between the very rich and well-connected people and all other citizens is too wide, and unjust government policies have widened the gap significantly.

The Government has utterly failed in its number one obligation to create a safe environment for citizens. They do not deserve hefty increases until they accomplish this objective.

I and other students applaud Peter Espeut, Dr Michael Abrahams, Kay Osborne, the Advocates Network, and others who are standing up for teachers and other professionals who deserve better treatment from the Government. Young Jamaicans, especially students, must join the fight for justice, for democracy, for our future.

It is good that the Government appears to have lost significant support, even among its diehard supporters, and will likely continue to haemorrhage support for as long as the unjust salaries remain in place.

Therefore, in their self-interest, they need to wheel and come again and roll back the unjust payout, and establish an independent committee to recommend appropriate compensation packages.

JOHN CHIN QUEE