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+--- Thread: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise (/showthread.php?tid=103311)
Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Firemon - 03-18-2023
Security guards get big pay raise along with employee status (no longer independent contractors).
"On Thursday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in his budget presentation in Parliament, announced the jump in minimum wages for security guards, taking salaries from $10,500 weekly to $14,000. He also announced a 44 per cent increase in the national minimum wage, which will move from $9,000 per 40-hour work week to $13,000 per 40-hour work week."
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/security-fallout/
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Negril75 - 03-20-2023
Firemon,
Thanks for the thread!! What has always amazed me is how Security Guards get paid so poorly even in America. Here you have a man or woman sometimes guarding very large sums of money at a bank or collecting daily receipts from a WalMart or Home Depot for example and you are paying them $12 an hour!!
And witness in Jamaica where a Security Guard is very likely to be in danger he gets paid $10,500 weekly ($10,500 divided 153 = $68.62 USD for 40 hours work). Imagine $1.71 USD per hour to carry a gun and defend against Jamaican criminals?? So now they bump it up to $91.50 a week under the budget presentation.
And then you have the national minimum wage. $9,000 per 40 hour week grosses $58.82 USD ($1.47 USD per hour) will now be earning $2.12 USD per hour.
So I guess the Jamaicans have a right to be pissed off seeing $1,000 USD a night hotel guests at some high end AI's!!! I guess it understandable that they have their hands out for tips!!
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Firemon - 03-22-2023
Given the danger they face it's no wonder the threshold for bribing Guardsman Security has never been too steep. Most of their signs in the hills and streets overlooking Kingston are full of bullet holes.
A have a special fondness for a night watchman (since deceased) named Leslie Campbell. In my early days as a single traveler I didn't want to stray too far initially but was too excited being in Jamaica to go to sleep. So I'd sit with Leslie at Roots Bamboo and watch from the shadows as the waves rolled in, the moon rose, the traffic sped by, the drunks argued, etc. And we talked. I would try and quote his wisdoms but I'm sure that after the passage of time I wouldn't be able to do them justice.
Towards the end of my first visit he wrote down his name and address on the back cover of the book I was reading, "The Harder They Come." Leslie eventually retired and Frame entered my conciousness. Another helpful and caring soul. Thanks to them both for making my visits to Jamaica safer and more enjoyable.
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Negril75 - 03-22-2023
Firemon,
Nice story!! I don't know how far back you go in Negril history but my first visit was in 1975. Between then and 1984 I had visited dozens of times. I found it amazing how the "Old Timers" who I met back then were some of the most intelligent people that I have ever met. One that I remember was a gentleman named Lazarus Reynolds and he lived in a very humble home on Negril Beach between the Negril Beach Club and the bridge over the Negril River in town. He told me stories about Negril one of which was during the filming of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and how since there was no hotels or places for the cast and crew to live the Production Company had a big boat / Yacht moored off Negril Beach and that they used to ferry local women out to the ship for parties. The way Lazarus told the story I could visualize it while chatting with him at sunset. I could only imagine how beautiful it must have been considering that at the time it was pretty unbelievable. I have such awesome memories of the people that I have met over the years during my trips to JA!!!
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - CardBoardBox - 03-22-2023
Both were nice tales to read.
My entry in 1984, when 3 miles of the beach road was only sand, trees and road, would not use beauty as a description, yet I would not use beauty nor an opposite as a description in the current era. More conjested I WOULD use.
I can relate to FireMon's interaction with security back then. Be it late at night, not wanting to be in my room but not wanting to be on the road either, security at the booth at both Negril Beach Club and Hedo-II were "captive audiences" since they had to be there and it was nice to talk to someone. Even though you said you "wouldn't be able to do them justice", I would be interested if you shared some.
There is, of course, the message and the poetic way they spoke; 2 aspects. Just as one grounds keeper said to me "Go to prison" when he saw I was carrying a kitchen knife. Advice in a small package.
Security guards on the beach at nite were not as cool as Firemon's, and anyway, I graduated to the West End during trip 3 which had dogs who knew who was a guest and who wasn't. They would walk with you and sit with you but wouldn't talk
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Firemon - 03-23-2023
I was camping at Roots Bamboo and had just returned to my tent openly carrying a sizeable bouquet of ganja sticks. One of the workmen (a day laborer and not one of Roots Bamboo's regular staff) who was erecting a temporary wall for the concert that evening took an interest in my activities and came to squat down at my tent's opening. We were engaged in conversation when he snatched the scandal bag into which I'd deposited my stash and took off running. I chased after him with a switch blade in my hand and was rapidly gaining ground on him when I heard someone say "Firemon's got a ratchet" which prompted the thief to drop my goods. That was the moment I found out my Jamaican name was Firemon.
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Negril75 - 03-23-2023
Nice one Firemon!!
So you must have known Barry next door at Gloria's Sunset Cottages?? Do you remember the A-Frame on the beach behind the big Sea Grape tree?
I used to pitch my Blaze Orange tent in Gloria's yard for weeks and weeks. That was before Bar-B-Barn arrived but I do remember it in the early 80's
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Firemon - 03-24-2023
All that you talk of was before my time. Most envious of your experiences back before the boom years.
I heard stories about undeveloped Negril while sitting around a campfire with Miss Sonia (Sonia's Restaurant) and her husband (since divorced) Jazz. One of the more memorable comments concerned electricity. "When the power go out you know the speed boats are moving ganja to ships waiting offshore on the West End." Even the dogs knew what was going on but they weren't talking.
RE: Minimum Wage/Security Pay Raise - Negril75 - 03-24-2023
I was in Negril during the time of the Mariel Boatlift when Cubans descended on Miami. April 20, 1980. Not only boats from Cuba sailed for Florida!! Unlike today back in the 70's and 80's there were not many boats on Negrill Beach. Let me rephrase that. There weren't many motorized boats plying the waters off Negril. Today is different but back then the wealth hadn't yet arrived. I remember seeing the odd sailboat moored in Long Bay but rarely was there the type of boat common to Florida, the 40' to 60' fishing boat or pleasure boat with twin diesels powering them. But leading up to Oct. 20th, 1980 that was different. Every day I noticed more and more boats parked a mile or so off shore up on the Northern End of Negril Beach by Rutland Point. By the 18th or 19th there were probably 12 or 15 boats waiting offshore and every night dug out canoes and small row boats could be seen under the glow of the moon heading off the beach with their cargo wrapped in tarps. One night I remember finding myself on the beach and walking upon a small boat being prepared to head out to sea and saying to myself just keep walking with my eyes straight ahead. I can only imagine how much Ganja and otherwise made it ashore in America over those days!!