Minimum wage hike for several categories of workers
A NUMBER of workers in certain categories now stand to benefit from an increase in minimum wage, which will take effect from June 1. The decision was taken by Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday, May 2 and announced yesterday, by Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon.
Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing in Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, he said amendments were made to the existing order and several sectors have been identified for increased pay.
Among the identified beneficiaries are those at fuel stations, security guards, employees in hospitality, hotel, restaurant and bars, others in mechanical transportation, grocery, hardware and drug- stores, dry goods, printery, training, aerated water factory, sawmill, timber grant and contract employees.
Luncheon explained that the increases are not across the board for public servants.
Meanwhile, questioned on the issue of enforcement to ensure that the workers are, indeed, paid what is due to them, he said that is a case whereby many people are fearful of being on the breadline, hence they are afraid to bring the matter to the relevant authorities.

TWO BOOKS
“I believe all of us are familiar with employers with two books, one dutifully presented to inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and inspectors from the NIS that subscribe to the very lawful implementation of wages and wages policy and the real book that is hidden and not very often provided in public,” Luncheon said.
He agreed that enforcement is the answer and it would call for much more vigorous actions on behalf of the NIS, the Ministry of Labour, Inspectors and the willingness of employees, who are affected by the trifling of the labour laws by employers, to come forward and be identified, even at the risk of being on the breadline.
Luncheon said there are employers who, knowingly, underpay workers and maintain different books to hide the illegal action while the other issue is that NIS has reports of employees whose contributions have been collected and not paid over to the scheme.
He noted that the two issues are similar infringements of the labour laws and social security legislation but are treated differently for the purposes of the NIS and the Ministry of Labour.