No increase in minimum wage before NHI – Premier Smith
That question was put to Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith, who answered, “No.”
Dr Smith was positive that because of the timeframe left before the implementation of NHI the minimum wage committee would not be able to complete its work.
The issue of minimum wage increase has been and continues to be a burning issue in the public service sector. The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, which was put together to conduct a review in consultation with the public over a six-month period, completed its report and submitted same to the Government on July 24, 2015. That committee was headed by Mr Simon Potter.
The public meetings of the Advisory Committee took on various forms, including face to face meetings in pubic settings and via live radio and television call-in programmes. Most of the one-on-one sessions were poorly attended but yet those who found it important attended and the majority felt that the increase should be 100%.
The current rate is $4.00 per hour and the public suggested it needs to be at least $8.00 per hour.
In some sections it was expressed that a 100% increase all at once is unrealistic and suggested that it should be increased over a given period of time.
Minimum wage increase even more urgent with NHI
The matter of the minimum wage increase is now seen as even a more urgent need as the NHI is all set to kick off. “Just look at how much they going to be taking out of people's pockets, calculate how much some people taking home to their family of at least four, now what in heaven’s name is going to happen to people?” asked one concerned resident.
“They trying to cover people with health insurance but they also going to be creating more health problems because the amount of stress people going to be displaying they will get sick and that new under-staffed hospital wouldn’t have hands to deal with the amount of people, watch and see,” add the resident.
And despite the cries from some sections of the public for government to reconsider its January 1, 2016 implementation of NHI and to provide more consultation and information flow, NHI is all set to be launched tomorrow September 1, 2015.
35 Responses to “No increase in minimum wage before NHI – Premier Smith”
You sound like an ignorant jack@$$, then your English is atrocious so no way you could be doing high profile jobs. People like you are unhappy especially behind close doors.
LILY ANN : YOU SOUND SO GOT DANG IGNORANT THAT I CAN ONLY PRAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE THAT YOUR FREAKING BANK BOOK COULD PAY FOR HALF THE S.IT YOU JUST WROTE. AND I ALSO HOPE YOU'RE NOT ON YOUR HIGH PAYING JOB USING UP PEOPLE INTERNET TO TALK SMACK LIKE YOU SOMEONE SPECIAL. AT LEAST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING MEDIOCRE JOBS ... BUSSING THEIR "$$ TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES/LOVES ONE INSTEAD OF OUT THERE ROBBING MOFO LIKE YOU THAT THINK THEY GOT IT.. WID YOUR NONESENSE . IS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE ME SICK !!!! NOT EVERYONE IS FORTUNATE AS OTHER.. IF YOU HAD GOOD PARENTS/ GRANDPARENTS THEY WOULD'VE RAISED TO UNDERSTAND THAT NEVER JUDGE/ NOR ENVY HOW A MAN WORKS/ DO TO MAKE HIS BREAD CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH TO GET IT. SO I DONT BLAME YOU FOR THE SMALL MINDED ANSWER YOU GAVE I DONT GIVE TO CRAP OF YOUR AGE. CAUSE YOU SEEM LIKE YOU HAVE A CLASS ONE MENTALITY ANYHOW. AND YOU LUCKY I EVEN SAID CLASS ONE THEY PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTAND OF LIFE'S STRUGGLE/ HUSTLE ANYWAYS.. YOU PIECE OF CRAP !!
And these are the people we in trust to run our country.the minister of health don't self use the hospital so why he and his twink friends want us to use it?
should be voluntary, not mandatory. BVI imitating the US way too much. A game of 'follow the leader' and the
leader is going to hell. At this rate there'll be no difference between living in one country or the other, so the
option of choice is being taken away as well. Bye bye Earth.
Let's look at the bigger picture in the long run.
This is not intended to hurt no one its for us to think outside the box.