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Discrimination? Sexism? Women paid less than men in the VI- Minimum Wage Report

- VIslanders collectively outnumbered in the workforce; More Guyanese, Jamaicans & Vincentians
One of the interesting issues provided in the Minimum Wage Report 2015 is that women in the Virgin Islands are often paid at a lower rate than their male counterparts. Photo: VINO
The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report was laid on the table of the House of Assembly (HoA) by the Minister for Labour, Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7) on November 2, 2015. Photo: VINO
The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report was laid on the table of the House of Assembly (HoA) by the Minister for Labour, Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7) on November 2, 2015. Photo: VINO
According to the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report 2015, more locals work for the government whereas the expat population takes better paying jobs in the private sector. Photo: VINO/File
According to the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report 2015, more locals work for the government whereas the expat population takes better paying jobs in the private sector. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Report 2015 was tabled in the House of Assembly (HoA) by the Minister for Labour, Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7) on November 2, 2015.

The document, while its main function was to review the Virgin Islands’ minimum wage, was a comprehensive report that looked at many aspects of the territory’s labour force.

One of the interesting issues provided in the report is that women in the Virgin Islands are often paid at a lower rate than their male counterparts.

In fact, on page 15 of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee’s Report, it stated: “a greater percentage of female workers were remunerated at minimum wage when compared to their male counters …” In other words, more women are stuck at the minimum wage of $4.00 when compared to men.

US study finds women make nearly 3 percent less than men in same jobs

Meanwhile, the issue of women earning less than men is not isolated to the Virgin Islands as, according to a report published Thursday November 5, 2015 by PayScale, women in the United States earn 2.7 percent less in wages compared to men working in similar jobs.

The report differentiates between comparing all men and women and instead looks at how they work in similar jobs. Overall, women make 78 cents on the dollar for every dollar men make, according to a national statistic from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PayScale took into account main factors that affect how the gender pay gap is perceived, including job type, job level, compensable factors, marriage and family and unconscious bias. Salaries for males have remained higher than female salaries across the board, regardless of the varying methods of data analysis, such as age, location and leadership status, according to the report. 

The study collected data from 1.4 million full-time employees through a survey that took place from July 2013 to July 2015.

A diverse workforce, the report stated, can support gender equality and lead to greater profits.

VIslanders outnumbered in work force; More Guyanese, Jamaicans & Vincentians

Another revelation of the Minimum Wage Report is that collectively locals are a minority in the work force.

The report on page 19 unearthed that Virgin Islanders “collectively are significantly outnumbered by their counterparts, especially from the Caribbean region. The largest population of migrant employees, that is just about evenly distributed, comes from Guyana, Jamaica and St Vincent….”

The report also found that more locals work for the government whereas the expat population takes better paying jobs in the private sector.

Local Minority

Virgin Islanders are already a minority in terms of population and now comes evidence that they are also outnumbered in the work force. The indigenous Virgin Islander, meaning those who can trace one or both parents and grandparents to being born in the Virgin Islands as defined by the 2007 Constitution, is already a minority and most often continues to claim discrimination, oppression and victimisation.

Following the 2011 general elections, locals have cried that their standards of living and opportunities have dropped, and they feel hopeless and also claimed that there is nowhere for them to turn for justice and fair play.

33 Responses to “Discrimination? Sexism? Women paid less than men in the VI- Minimum Wage Report”

  • mixed feelings (10/11/2015, 10:56) Like (10) Dislike (4) Reply
    Willie Lynch has done well, it will forever be us against them
    • gkefkkdakxq (10/11/2015, 13:00) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      mixed feelings you need to explain
      • mixed feelings (10/11/2015, 14:30) Like (22) Dislike (6) Reply
        Allegedly British slave owner Willie Lynch gave a speech in the 17 hundreds about the best methods for controlling slaves. Basically setting blacks against blacks, buy putting old vs young, male vs female, light skin vs dark. So instead of working together We too busy fighting against one another to see the bigger picture. who from here and who not.. at the end of the day we will all die then what? it continues with the next generation
        • My $0.02 (10/11/2015, 14:38) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
          Only problem with that is Willie Lynch is a myth. Prove me wrong.
          • mixed feeliings (10/11/2015, 16:46) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
            why do I have to prove u wrong? u were so quick to take that approach well, please note I started with the word ALLEGEDLY. And if it allegedly took place in the 17 hundreds what do u expect me to get as proof, cellphone footage?
            • My $0.02 (10/11/2015, 18:48) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
              Because you started with "Allegedly" and based your whole premise on why blacks fight each other on what Willie Lynch "allegedly" did. Basically you assumed what allegedly happened was true.
  • qc (10/11/2015, 11:02) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    Sad deeds women need money with all deeds single mothers
  • Annamarie (10/11/2015, 11:02) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    While election was going on we should had asked for the minimum wages to change now that everything is over and done no body care their salary is great so why should care about us at all.
  • vex (10/11/2015, 11:35) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Deep
  • Scary Mary (10/11/2015, 11:41) Like (30) Dislike (3) Reply
    None of this SHOULD come as a surprise to anyone. For decades, our children have been told that the "best" job was a government job or an accountant or a lawyer, etc.. Children have been told that doing anything that gets your hands dirty is not a job you want to take. BV Islanders are "better" than that. It baffles me that anyone expects to be anywhere other than exactly where we find ourselves.

    Everyone wants to work in an office and be paid the big bucks straight out of school. Unfortunately, that applies to those just getting out of high school with no higher education and zero experience. But even those who do have a college or university degree believe they should be handed the big paying jobs despite the fact that they have no experience.

    It is time to wake up! Privately owned companies will not hire you for anything other than grass roots positions when you are straight out of school. Full stop. You then have to put in your time, pay your dues, put in the effort and PROVE that you have what it takes to DO that high paying job you want. You need to learn from the ground up, regardless of where you were born. Your mummy and daddy can't do it for you. YOU have to do it and YOU have to be motivated enough to go after it on your own.

    Few indigenous people have targeted jobs in the private sector and in particular, few have seen fit to train for anything in the yacht charter industry or tourism sectors. How many indigenous people have a DEGREE in hospitality management? This includes hotel and tourism management, restaurant management, etc? Not many, I can assure you. Yet aside from the financial industry, what is our biggest sector?

    We continue to moan about the young people not having opportunities whilst the young people continue to go after white collar government jobs with little to no higher education. I really don't know what any of us can possibly expect! Until we change our attitudes and our focus on education, we cannot possibly expect the labour force opportunities to improve.

    How many indigenous people who CALL themselves "general contractors", actually have a bachelor's degree for construction technology and construction management? Any guesses?

    If we would just start looking at what is available to us and train for those industries, PERHAPS we wouldn't be outnumbered in the private sector much longer! Until then, we can keep sucking our teeth, waving our fists at outsiders and blaming them for all our social problems while wailing the woe is me song.

    WE have exactly what we created. WE are the only ones who can fix it!
  • i from here (10/11/2015, 11:44) Like (6) Dislike (9) Reply
    It's the same all over the WORLD!

    Nothing surprising here.

    We men are the providers!

    I said MEN not BOYS!
  • ....... (10/11/2015, 11:45) Like (5) Dislike (5) Reply
    This study is somewhat misleading because there are also more women than men in senior positions in the Virgin Islands......
  • Yeah Right (10/11/2015, 12:04) Like (14) Dislike (11) Reply
    Women should not be working at all.... They should be at home.........
  • Deaf (10/11/2015, 12:07) Like (8) Dislike (5) Reply
    locals are paid less too
  • kkk (10/11/2015, 12:24) Like (29) Dislike (4) Reply
    too much work permits for whites
  • virgin gorda (10/11/2015, 13:03) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Remember they have dr p and lorna and the island people got mvw and mark but who does the locals have?
  • Yes (10/11/2015, 13:08) Like (1) Dislike (3) Reply
    They only paid less on paper.
  • Ja rules (10/11/2015, 14:17) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
    In usvi the minimum wage is above $10 and the cost of living is low here in the bvi the minimum wage is $4 and cost of living is so dam high
    • ...... (10/11/2015, 15:39) Like (1) Dislike (3) Reply
      Their minimum wage is higher eh? Their murder rate is also higher. We are not the US Virgin Islands.....
      • Ja rules (10/11/2015, 18:55) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
        I can see the u live in a nut shell and think the same way as u live small
  • minimum wage (10/11/2015, 14:52) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    We are forcing women to sell their bodies..
  • larry the lawyer (10/11/2015, 16:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    women make more than lawyers when they sell themselves, but at least one of those professions is honest...
  • True (10/11/2015, 16:54) Like (8) Dislike (3) Reply
    As a 35 year old female who has worked in Europe, America and the BVI this is factual for every job I have held. Men get paid more just because they are male, they are valued higher even in identical positions. It's outrageous and in my experience women perform at a superior level. Discrimination is alive and well in 2015 but it's not only in the BVI.
    • ..... (11/11/2015, 08:47) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      Your line about women performing at a superior level is also outrageous, sexist, generalizing and without merit.
  • ting to talk (10/11/2015, 19:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    "Following the 2011 general elections, locals have cried that their standards of living and opportunities have dropped, and they feel hopeless and also claimed that there is nowhere for them to turn for justice and fair play"
  • Marine (10/11/2015, 19:46) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
    Men got to pay child support, pay alimony, take women out on dates, spend, spend, spend. So what you expect?
  • Lily Ann (12/11/2015, 12:43) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    As a woman, I'm happy Men are still in the lead !!! Men who are in higher positions are better to work with. They dont discriminate. They listen to everybody with a fair trial. WOMEN on the other hand are too BIAS !!! They want you to suck their ....s just to prove you want to be there (Top Shelf, Raise, Certain Vacation days etc) I was NEVER comfortable with a female Boss!!! And furthermore, women want top notch pay, and STILL gonna ask the man below her to help move Boxes, bring in Shipment etc ... If you want your hand break in the bank, It needs to be broken on the Workplace !!!!!!


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