Minimum wage increase uncertain
Uncertainty prevails over the prospect of a minimum wage increase in the territory, with a report from a crucial review set for submission by month-end.
Deputy Premier Lorna Smith told reporters at a press conference yesterday that she was unsure whether there would be an increase in the minimum wage and declined to pre-empt the report.
Smith said the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee had been evaluating the current wage structure since last November. “We value diverse perspectives in this process, and therefore we want to get the widest cross-section of input from the different types of stakeholders,” Smith shared.
The Deputy Premier and Labour Minister said the public’s voice matters on the issue and invited everyone to participate in an online survey on the government’s website or send written feedback by email by April 15.
The current minimum wage stands at $6 per hour and has been this way for nearly a decade.
Last year, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatlety said the Price Waterhouse Coopers Compensation Review and Job Classification Report suggested that a minimum wage was estimated to be $23,719.80 per year. This would increase the current minimum wage to nearly $12 per hour.
The estimate represented the cost for a single-person household to live a basic but decent life in the BVI, including food, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, clothing and other essential needs for a family and unexpected events.
These costs reflect local items and prices for 2021-2022 as reported by the BVI Central Statistics Office.
Dr Wheatley explained that the Compensation Review and Job Classification report highlighted that even when the current minimum wage of $6 per hour is adhered to, the gross salary of many workers in the private sector also falls short of a living wage.
The Premier said the government alone cannot decide what the minimum wage should be but was optimistic that by bringing stakeholders such as private sector employers into a national discussion, solutions can be found.
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How do they not have the power to raise the minimum wage when you’re using the US dollar? So little is done for the people of bvi. I don’t believe for one second they can’t raise the minimum wage when they’re raising there own wages and adding friends to a non existing advisor board.
“We value diverse perspectives in this process,” and clearly those perspectives do not take people into account,only those of the business community, clearly.
The way it always was and will continue to be until a new revolutionary party is formed to depose all.
People are and have been watching and have become tired of the elite taking all and giving none.
It is time for change.
Did you value diverse perspectives with the Greedy Bill? And do not tell me you were not there; the other members of your Government were! There is big worry about whether businesses can pay the increased minimum wage. Was that same energy used to assess whether the Government could pay the Greedy Bill? No! Because you spending the people’s money you thought it ok to just pass this bill to enrich yourselves. Please just exit and let others run this country. We are fed up!
Ane Mr. Premier. Take a good look at all of the above comments. Stusy them carefully. Then put some. statistical analysi to them.
When you do, you should come to the factual conclusion that the nation is sick.
The nation is sick of abuse of the political powers explotitng the masses mercilessly.
The masses are tired of being explotitng the masses mercilessly.
Some one has posted the feelings, pains and frsations of the masses clearly, when thatperson wrote toshut down the entire country.
It si something i hope would be organied and carried out.
Hopefully, there aresome brave souls ready to organize.
As, the people deserve better. Politicians can make themselves rich and cannot find the heart or decency to even giv the people whatthey work for, their increments, much less anything else.
It is time for change. A new progressive people oriented party must be formed now.
This is just despicable and inhumane! They already got a report years ago that suggested $12 per hour, now cost of living has increased and they are still hemming and hawing about other stakeholders! None of those elected officials have to wonder where their next meal coming from, or the house rent at the end of the month, so its no problem to them. Just putting on smiling face press conference and giggling with the fraidy fraidy journalist who has no power to demand clear answers to any questions.
Honourable Minister, You can’t build peoples’ Hope up and now back peddling.If infact the Report says $12.00 is the living wage and people are suffering as it is, then do right by the people because your Government is not putting things in place to ensure the Citizens of this territory can survive. No increase in Payroll Tax Exemption. No increase in Social Security Benefits. But We must continue to pay Taxes, NHI and Social Security and pay the high cost of living daily to survive. What is the purpose of every Four Years electing people into our HOA with no concern for the people of the Territory? That is indeed an indication that you all are just there for the Money. You the elected ones are making sure that you receive your Salary increase But nothing for the poor People of the Territory? Can this be right? You all should be ashamed of yourselves and God will deal with all of you. Honourable Minister, Remember YOU were the Minister who suspended the Trade Commission which was the Entity for Price control. One would ask:What was your Motive for such a move? It is clear to see that there is much conflict of interest among most of you, Politicians. As Someone said, I really do wish H.E. the Governor would come to every Community and dialogue with the people. The Average Citizen is catching Hell in this Territory while those in Government fail to do right by the people. Honourable Minister, Just remember unless you have no intentions of being re-elected into Office, Three Years may seem far but before you wink, its here. You are a disappointment to the Electorates. Infact, You are the main one that have Us in this predicament. Integrity and Credibily Matters…
IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR TO SEE THAT SHE WAS SENT THERE BY HER FAMILY WITH A MANDATE TO ENSURE THAT THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF COUNTRY DON’T CHANGE. WHY WOULD A LONE TRAITER DECIDE ON THEIR OWN ACCORD TO SUSPEND SOMETHING THAT WOULD BRING RELIEF TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY? DOESN’T THAT ALONE SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE? THE PEOPLE MUST CONTINUE TO SUFFER WITH HIGH COST OF LIVING AND LOW MINIMUM WAGE. IF THAT IS NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR THEN TELL ME WHAT IS. THERE IS A SAYING THAT GOES: ONLY WHEN WIND BLOWS YOU SEE FOWL BOTTOM BUT IN THIS CASE MOST PEOPLE KNEW WHAT CERTAIN PEOPLE WERE CAPABLE UP WHILE OTHERS WERE FOOLED. GOD DON’T SLEEP AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. A THOUSAND YEARS FOR MANKIND, IS BUT ONE DAY FOR GOD.
Pay attention… They done give themselves raises so to hell with ayo.
when they get put out orleave themwill get even more money raises. That is what their former leader did before he got caught by the hands of the Almighty.
Yet for the poor and needy, nothing! No costof living adjuctmentamid the price gougers and greeders. No Social Security for the seniors who are living a night mare. No incremets for the people to catch up on outstanding bills. Nothing for the people.
They had better not come back to them for another job before fixing all of the above.
They think Mr. Noel was revolutionary, wait untill the BVI Revolutionary Party unfolds its wings.
we need to have legislations in place, as soon as minimum wages goes up so does the cost of living, you must work a hour and change to afford cheese at the supermarket, landlords will say people making more so they can afford more how on earth you telling me a 1 bedroom apartment going for $1500-2000 anyone living on minimum wage can’t afford it.
Seen this before. Her husband also formed a committee and we are still awaiting their report to this date. Luarna in the Corna is a joke. She needs to go home and take a nap and eat her oatmeal. Leave serious business to ppl affected and can do something
at $12 per hour a lot od restaurants will have to close unless they include the tips in the final wage to make it up to $12 per hour just like in the US that only pays its servers $2.17 per hour in some states. 10 employees includinf foh and boh at a minimum of $120 per hour so operating costs of a minimum of $960.00 per day that is supposed to be 20% so everyday restairants with those staff levels will need more than $1.5 mill in revenue a year to stay open and pay taxes. A lot of people will lose their jobs if they do not include the tips and grats in the hourly wage and that is a fact.
Stop talking bs aint no body working for no 2$ no where in the u.s and wa that have to do with here
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE WILL DO NOTHING! Price control is what’s needed.
But yall don’t want to listen. So enjoy yall $10 and $15 bread!
THE TRUTH IS: MINIMUM WAGE, PAYROLL TAX EXEMPTION AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS SHOULD ALL BE INCREASED INCREMENTALLY. SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT EVERY EIGHT TO TEN YEARS. THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH ELECTED OFFICIALS REALLY CARE OR THINK ABOUT THEIR CITIZENS WHEN ELECTED. WHEN GOVERNMENT GIVES MERCHANTS DUTY TAX EXEMPTION IT DOES NOT TRICKLE DOWN TO THE CONSUMERS.
I CAN BE WRONG BUT I CAN ALMOST BET EVEN IF THE MINIMUM RAISE IS INCREASED IT PROBABLY WON’T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL OCTOBER BECAUSE MANY BUSINESSES WOULD SAY THAT THE ADDITIONAL MONIES WERE NOT IN THIS YEAR’S BUDGET AND WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET. IT WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MANY WORKERS ARE BEING PAID THE BARE MINIMUM OF $6.00 PER HOUR. SOME BUSINESSES I KNOW PAY $7.00 AND $8.00 PER HOUR AND IN SOME HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES THAT IS IN ADDITION TO SOME GRATUITY. TIPS FROM A CUSTOMER IS 100% BELONG TO THE EMPLOYEE WHO HAS SERVED THE CUSTOMER BUT SURPRISING TO NOTE SOME EMPLOYERS TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THE EMPLOYEES. IN MOST CASES THE BIG ESTABLISHMENTS NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER AND THEY OPERATE THE SAME. MEANING, PRESENTLY THEY ARE DISTRIBUTING THE GRATUITY EVENLY TO ALL STAFF WORKING IN ALL AREAS EVEN IF SOME STAFF ARE MAKING $20.00 PER HOUR. HOW FAIR IS THAT.
VIP not good for us. I can bet my life Ronnie would have done work this out and have this done. Remember Ronnie was the one that gave us the tax exemption we now enjoy as a relief..VIP does nothing but talk, as far back as ralph…Lorna is a spoiler. She spoiled the change we voted for, now she spoiling all her promises..We in trouble…
Since 1988 when minimum wages was $1.50 per hour now 37 years late only 3 times it raised , every thing else raise and now they are saying everything will raise if it goes up, not realizing everything being raised minimum wage is the only thing remains the same over the years.
How in the heavens people are able to live on $6 per hour? As an employer, I don’t pay any of my team this ridiculous minimum wage, it is ungodly.
The problem is, one particular supermarket, I am not calling names, robbing people with eyes wide open. Everyday you go into that supermarket, the prices on things are up.
The government need to put price control in place,not just for the supermarkets, but
also for those who rent apartments.
As an employer, I support a higher minimum wage but with discretion and with price control in place to prevent over charges without notification. I rest my case.
We cannot raise the minimum wage from $960 per month ($6 per hour), we need the money to pay the greedy retired politicians $10,000 per month.
So what you are saying is that ALL VIP Voters are the ones responsible for a Blockage to the Minimum Wage.. Poor BVI. R.I.P. My Brothers and Sisters.
When the Hurricanes of 2017 struck, Some people had No Money to get because some Employers NEVER paid in their Workers Social Security nor NHI Including some of the very same Politicians sitting in the HOA.
Someone said on another Post, that the Honourable Member for the Fifth has lost his Spark. I agree and I think I know why. The Honourable Member is not in support of a lot of stuff that is being allowed to happen and knowing that the ……Premier can’t and won’t do anything about it is really discouraging. I also think every Politician who intend to contest Elections with the Hope of being successful, they EYE which Ministry they would like to have in their control. Think about it. If you ask an aspiring Politician, If Elected which Ministry would you like and they respond to you: Oh I Love Nature! Which Ministry would you say HE/She is Eying? Of Course “Natural Resources”. Why??? Go Figure!!!
If he has lost his spark all he has to do so cross the floor but apparently he loves power.
The thousands of sons daughters mothers fathers that are residing full time longtime forever time in Balsum are living large at cost to taxpayers of approximately $40,000 grand each per year. Their armed homies that are imported to police them in and out of Balsum earn a salary larger than minimum wage.
These expenditures to the extent that they are currently,can be easily rectified. The recipients..prisoners and police are dominated by one distinct demographic. Empty the BVI of societal offenders within this demographic and be more stringent in permitting their entrance and long term occupancy.
The cost imposed by their presence is overwhelming , unnecessary. Bankruptcy snd increased poverty as a result,is in the wings of this island tragedy.
And we all sit back, see it happening, see them enriching them selves and we do nothing but talk.
How about organizing a total and complete nation wide waalk out and off the job. A complete strike. No man or woman go to no job.
Shut down the whole flippin country indefinitely.
See how quick we get increments, SS INCREASE, $12. MINIMUM WAGE, THE WHOLE NINE.
THE POWER IS IN THE HANDS OF THEPEOPLE THEY ARE JUST AFRAID TO USE IT TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.
ORGANIZE A COMPLET E TERRITORY WIDE SHT DOWN NOW!!!!!!! PEOPLE TIRED OF THIS SHIT!!
SHUT HER DOWN NOW!!!
That is the jingle @Lorna in your corner” .She got the position she wanted so “She PUsh All ayo in a corner “ Your vote has consequences.
The premier on the stroke of a pen can sign away millions for entertainment, travel allowance s and other things but he does not have the slightest inkling of what to do to assist the population. Shameful whi ayo fooling
IS only booking yourself , whatever is going on , she met it there / so open your eyes Vincent & andrew knew that cmthe ( employers ) wants manipulating their employees & the government but design an evil plan to ( double tax the employees , using ( money gram) while letting the employers do their thing in comfort nut the mills of the lord grinds slowly, but surely , the one from vg was watching the ( island people ) who worked honestly to see how and what they found with what’s theirs and find the heart to double tax them / that’s really evil , meanwhile the employers deducting their employees money and not paying it to the government for tax , and they were Quite happy with that, and after doing that to our Caribbean brothers and sisters , and
we here talking about the white boyz and colonialism & racism , the lord will deal with you all in his own time ( more power to the rodeo gang untill the lord touch you all
When I was a kid, in the aughts, minimum wage was four bucks, an hour.
In 2016, it was raised to six!
I would think that it would be unconscionable, for the population to hafta wait, until 2062, to see an additional raise, by two bucks!
But you know, history, has a way of repeating itself!
..Hopefully, not on this issue,my goodness!
VINCENT WAS ALSO THERE WHEN ANDREW WAS TAKING THE PEOPLES’ SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY AND WAS THE THEN MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND SAID NOR DID NOTHING TO PREVENT IT KNOWING THAT IT WAS WRONG BUT THEY ALL BENEFITTED. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL OF THEM AND ANDREW IS: ANDREW GOT CAUGHT IN THE DIRTINESS AND THEIR TIME AINT REACH YET. THEY ARE ALL WICKED AND GREEDY. TIME WILL TELL.
Truth well spoken. If only the people will wake the f++up, form a new party elect them and hope for a better start!
AS, ALL WHO KNOW THE CURRENT BUNCH PERSONALLY KNOW THEY WERE SOLELY AND ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON MONEY AND GETTING RICH.
EVERYONE JUST DIDN’T HOW SEVERE THE PROBLEM WOULD TURN OUT TO BE.
We the people need new leadership.TIME FOR A NEW AND TRUST WORTHY PARTY TO TAKE OVER.