ST. ANN, Jamaica – In the midst of recent protests by hotel workers in Jamaica, MP candidate for NE St Ann has weighed in on the demonstrations. To justify his claim, Dr. Ryan Simpson has stated that at the current calculation, essential workers in Jamaica’s hotels earn approximately US$2 per hour. He states that a 100% increase would put them under US$5 per hour, significantly less than the American minimum wage.
Dr. Simpson says that Jamaica earned US$4 billion last year according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. Simpson says Jamaica’s cost of living is rivaling that of the United States and this puts pressure on Jamaican hotel workers and their households. He added that Jamaicans’ electricity bills have skyrocketed since the passing of Hurricane Beryl. He says that transportation costs for hotel staff are high. This is especially true for those living in rural areas.
