Most Guyanese are underpaid. The majority have probably never earned a living wage. It is a norm for many to be broke within a week of being paid. Many Guyanese will never know financial security or financial freedom. Why is this acceptable? When will we stand and demand that every Guyanese is paid at least a living wage?
But what is a living wage in Guyana? Depending on one’s social status, the estimates may vary. Whether one is a homeowner or renting; whether one owns a vehicle or utilizes public transportation; whether one is single or has a family. Where one resides may also be a factor in determining. A person in the capital city expenses might differ to one who lives in a rural community. We can do individual assessments based on all these factors, but there are basic questions we can ask.
Can I comfortably pay my rent or mortgage? Are all my bills covered? Is it enough to buy me food to last the month? Are my travel expenses covered? Can I afford a little leisure? Is there enough to save every month?
What can be classified as a super salary in Guyana?
The perception of the person who is working for minimum wage is likely to differ from the person who is paid a living wage. However, the varying perceptions do not change the fact that even the Guyanese who may earn a few hundred thousand dollars a month are likely underpaid based on their qualifications, experience and the comparative rates they could command in other countries.
Is it that Guyana is so poor that all citizens cannot be paid fairly? We all know that Guyana is not a poor country based on the natural resources we possess. Factors that have stifled our growth include poor governance, corruption, exploitation of our natural resources by foreigners and the unwillingness of the people to unite and steadfastly advocate for change.
The poor are often blamed for their condition and, in some cases, they are to be blamed especially when they have resolved that there is nothing they can do to change or improve their situation. People are kept in the dark about the power of the mind. In some religions, people may pray for years to change their reality, but nothing changes. Sometimes they are accused of not exercising enough faith. But even in scripture it says that “faith without works is dead”.
Some poor people are told that they should have sought higher education to improve their earning power. Careers in law, science, engineering, technology, business, politics are some of the most sought after. But the fact is all of us cannot be politicians, lawyers, scientists, doctors, entrepreneurs or engineers. We need sanitation workers, we need nurses, we need teachers, we need policemen, we need security guards, we need cooks, we need journalists, we need artists and all the other numerous professions that make a holistic society. The basic principle in any society should be that regardless of which profession one chooses, one should be paid living wages.
Many Guyanese seem to believe that there is honour in suffering. Wherever people are oppressed, this is comfort for those who may be trying to make sense of the hand life has dealt them. I love a good ‘rags to riches’ story, but unfortunately for most Guyanese the rags never transform to riches. Many of us need to break away from the conditioning that has taught us to embrace a life of poverty. For some they believe that there will be some reward in death.
There were conversations this week when the salaries earned by some individuals under the previous administration were exposed. I found it quite odd that some considered the salaries being paid to some to be “super salaries” in Guyana. It made me question whether people are deliberately delusional or deliberately disingenuous.
I am, however, happy that we have once again started this conversation. It occasionally erupts but typically becomes a whisper until another dramatic event. What is unfortunate is that people are qualified with university degrees in some instances and cannot find suitable employment here. It is for this reason that many of our professionals migrate. So, although we encourage people to pursue higher learning, the opportunities for them to be even employed here are often sparse.
As a society we need to come together and demand that we are paid adequately. And instances of exposing and attempting to shame people for earning living wages or even super salaries by Guyana’s standards need to stop. Let us, as a collective, continue to advocate that all Guyanese are adequately paid. This will help see a reduction in crime and also in other social issues.
I regularly spend time pondering on world affairs. I find it fascinating that people have yet to mobilise worldwide and start the revolution to challenge the systems that maintain the inequities in this world.
According to a 2017 CNBC article, a Credit Suisse report showed that the wealthiest 1 per cent of the world’s population owns more than half the world’s wealth.
An Oxfam article from January this year reported that the world’s 2153 billionaires have more wealth than 4.6 billion people who make up 60 per cent of the planet’s population.
We should not shame people for their wealth, but there is something iniquitous with most of the wealth being held by just a few. What does the 1 per cent look like in Guyana? What are the most profitable professions that lead to wealth here?
While most of the world’s wealthiest people are beneficiaries of generational wealth, there is an overabundance of wealth that they and their children will never exhaust once they continue to engage in smart investments. I do believe that poorer people should study the wealthy. While all of us will not be rich, valuable lessons can lead us to improving our lives.
