Did the business community dictate the new minimum wage of $6.00 per hour?
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?”
So fool if they say leave it at $4. It should have sayed at four..set of jack@$$
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
Both will come out of the employer's income. Think about that...
$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.