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Did the business community dictate the new minimum wage of $6.00 per hour?

- The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report revealed that 75.8 % of businesses surveyed agreed to only raising the minimum wage by either $5.00 or $6.00 per hour!
While to their credit the results of the survey revealed that a large majority of businesses in the territory suggested a wage above the current $4.00 per hour, in the end it was agreed to the $6.00 per hour based on what the majority of companies in the Virgin Islands wanted. Photo: VINO
While many see the newly recommended minimum wage of $6.00 per hour up a mere $2.00 since 1999 as being better than where it was before, it appears according to the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report made public on November 2, 2015 that this was decided almost singlehandedly by the business community. Photo: VINO/File
While many see the newly recommended minimum wage of $6.00 per hour up a mere $2.00 since 1999 as being better than where it was before, it appears according to the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report made public on November 2, 2015 that this was decided almost singlehandedly by the business community. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- While many see the newly recommended minimum wage of $6.00 per hour up a mere $2.00 since 1999 as being better than where it was before, it appears according to the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report made public on November 2, 2015 that this was decided almost singlehandedly by the business community.

While there were other figures such as $7.50, $8.00 and $10.00 per hour on the table in line with ensuring that because of the high cost of living in the Virgin Islands’ residents, especially the poor, are given at least a ‘living wage’, according to the report, the committee went with the figure the majority of the businesses wanted.

Businesses run things!

While to their credit the results of the survey revealed that a large majority of businesses in the territory suggested a wage above the current $4.00 per hour, in the end it was agreed to the $6.00 per hour based on what the majority of companies in the Virgin Islands wanted.

According to the survey as unearthed in the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report, some 75.8% of businesses wanted between $5.00, $5.50 and $6.00. The breakdown shows 32.9% of businesses wanted the minimum wage to be increased to $5.00 while 10% wanted it increased to $5.50 and 32.9% wanted it at $6.00.

Meanwhile, only a mere 4.3% of businesses in the Virgin Islands (VI) recommended a $10.00 per hour increase to the minimum wage.

Did businesses dictate the minimum wage?

Many employees, who wished not to go on record for fair of victimisation, when told about the statistics in the report, said both the Advisory Committee and the National Democratic Party Government sold out on the working poor, as they should have pushed for at least a $7.50 per hour minimum wage as this $6.00 was decided by businesses, which means they still have the “upper hand.”

One lady from Virgin Gorda, who gave her first name as Jean and who works in the hospitality sector, said “the kind of money this place makes in season they could have afforded $8.00 an hour as after my 27 years here it’s nothing to get.”

The Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7), laid the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report on the table of the House of Assembly earlier this month. His administration accepted the $6.00 per hour increase.

However, to date no amendment to the Labour Code or no Regulations have been forthcoming to give effect to the increase.

24 Responses to “Did the business community dictate the new minimum wage of $6.00 per hour?”

  • YAWN (13/11/2015, 10:37) Like (1) Dislike (5) Reply
    Schups.
  • Xxx (13/11/2015, 10:41) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    No surprise here deman
  • Yes (13/11/2015, 10:45) Like (7) Dislike (8) Reply
    So who the hell paying the wages, isn't it the business? lol..wow.
    • l (13/11/2015, 11:05) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
      If it were up to some businesses, they wouldn't pay their workers at all.
    • @ lol (13/11/2015, 11:23) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply

      So fool if they say leave it at $4. It should have sayed at four..set of jack@$$

  • BVIlander (13/11/2015, 11:14) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    The persons making 4.00 an hour are getting grants....I make 6.00 an hour...no grats...no overtime, nothing and trust me 6.00 ain't squat.... Getting paid 2 a month 15th and end of month bring home a little over 400.00 with bills to pay and children in school.
  • Strups (13/11/2015, 11:21) Like (30) Dislike (0) Reply
    "According to the survey as unearthed in the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report, some 75.8% of businesses wanted between $5.00, $5.50 and $6.00. The breakdown shows 32.9% of businesses wanted the minimum wage to be increased to $5.00 while 10% wanted it increased to $5.50 and 32.9% wanted it at $6.00."

    Set of scamps, want to work the ppl but don't want to pay a decent salary. You could see the businesses barely even wanted it to go to $5! $5 is a slap to the face of every working citizen of this country. This sounds exactly like what happened back in '99 when it went from $3 to $4, the employers kick up they can't pay that now here they come again. Nuff of them want you to work your hours plus overtime if need be & still don't pay you for that. Ya'll business owners full of ***k
  • Molik (13/11/2015, 11:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes they dis and they will dictate what to spend and what to keep. Total subjection for the next few years.
  • leave well enough alone (13/11/2015, 11:44) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    No matter the minimum wage the employees still gonna steal something.
  • ......... (13/11/2015, 11:45) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Set of business crooks in this place!
  • just asking.... (13/11/2015, 12:21) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Companies are for profit what do you expect?
  • True (13/11/2015, 12:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The woman who works in the hospitality sector is forgetting her Tips & Grats she receives no doubt make her wage way above the $10.00 ph or perhaps all hospitality workers would prefer to be paid $10.00ph without any share of grats. Just to be clear I pay $17.50ph in that very sector to part time staff to account for tips & grats and she prpbably receives about the same, if not she is working in the wrong place for a very long time.
  • LCS (13/11/2015, 17:23) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    With the compulsory NHI, employees are getting a salary increase of 3.5%, plus the hike from $4.00 to $6.00 mínimum wage.
    Both will come out of the employer's income. Think about that...
    • @LCS (13/11/2015, 17:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      A big lol..........lol................lol, these fooly ppl ain't see nothing changed. The increase is to pay NHI, WELL 2 bucks extra can't even cut it cause 8 hours x 2 = 16 bucks and the maths is 6 an hour x 8 = 48 x 6. 288 x 4 = 1152 @ 7.5% of 1152 = 96 \2 =48. NHI contribution 48 working 6$ an hour on a 6 day week. Additionally subtract tax, social security. You get the picture. The additional 2$ on every hour only gain you 16 $ that does not meet the value of NHI. THE WHOLE INCREASE IS A GIMMIC. BUT BETTER SONETHING THAN NOTHING.
      • True (13/11/2015, 22:09) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        hope you don't work in Financial services.
        $6 x 40hrs a week $240 = $1000 a month approx
        $4 x 40 hrs a week $160 = $640 a month approx

        So a raise of $360.00 will help pay the extra $11.00 a month increasing the payment of $24 to $35 a month in case you missed that.
        • Tim (16/11/2015, 14:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          I feel that the study was flawed because it only looked at the employer side alone...
  • Fat Albert (13/11/2015, 18:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    A very decisive move indeed,...albeit I want to say it seems very premeditated
  • Gen (14/11/2015, 08:32) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Look at who the commission was made up of... business people any surprise here I would say no. The chairman is from one of our leading business where they have a large amount of employees. Nobody cuts off their nose to spite their face
  • wow (14/11/2015, 23:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    They should have looked at minimum wage across the board according to specific jobs ..not just a general study..makes no sense....
  • Atinkson (16/02/2016, 02:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
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