The government yesterday announced that with effect from June 1, the minimum wage for certain categories of workers–including security guards and sales clerks–will be increased by an order approved by Cabinet.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon made the announcement yesterday at his weekly press conference but did not state what the increase was. When asked, he said there were several categories of workers with varying wages. He said as in the public service, the increases were not across the board.
According Dr Luncheon, amendments were made to the existing minimum wages order and the sectors identified for the increases include petroleum station workers, the security and hospitality sectors, mechanical transportation workers, hardware and dry goods’ stores and pharmacy workers. Printery, trading, aerated water factory, sawmill and timber grant workers and contract employees will also have their minimum wages increased.
“These increases have been made subsequent to a similar order four years ago and have been designed after consultations with the tripartite bodies at the Ministry of Labour, government, private sector and organised labour,” Dr Luncheon said.
Meanwhile, Luncheon acknowledged the difficulties that inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) face when attempting to ensure that employers are complying with requirements. He said employees are afraid to report infringements for fear of being put on the breadline. Some employers keep two “books”, one for the inspectors and the other that is hidden and which hides the shenanigans of the employer, he added.
“Enforcement is of course the answer and it would call for much, much more vigorous action on behalf of the NIS, more action on behalf of the Ministry of Labour inspectors and of course the willingness of employees who are affected by the trifling of these labour laws by employers to come forward and be identified even at the risk of being on the breadline,” he said.
