— Labour Minister tables several orders in National Assembly
DURING last Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul tabled several Orders aimed at implementing a new minimum wage for certain categories of low income earners, and the new measure is slated to take effect from June 1. Dr. Gopaul tabled the following orders in the National Assembly: The minimum wages for employees of petrol filling stations amendment order 2012; the minimum wages for security guards; the labour conditions of employment of certain workers amendment order of 2012; the minimum wages for mechanical transport employees amendment order 2012; employees in groceries, employees in hardware stores, dry goods stores; the printing trade workers’ wages council wages regulations amendment; the aerated water factories wages council wages regulations; the sawmill workers’ wages council wages regulations; the timber grant workers’ wages council wages regulations; the cinema employees and the minimum wages for employees in drug stores amendment order.
Government had announced its move to implement a new minimum wage for certain categories of low income earners, and the new measure is slated to take effect from June 1. This was first disclosed by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing last month.
The categories to benefit include gas station employees; security guards; hotel, restaurant and bar workers; transportation workers; grocery, hardware, dry goods and drug store workers; printery and trading workers, aerated and water factory workers; sawmill and timber grant workers, and contract workers.
Dr. Luncheon had explained that those categories of workers did not have an increase since 2008, and the decision on the adjustments was made after the Labour Ministry had consulted with the private sector and organised labour.
As an example of how those workers would benefit: Sales clerks and cashiers; grocery, dry goods, hardware and drug store employees who earned Gy$4,500 and Gy$5,000 respectively in 2008 will now earn Gy$7,000 and Gy$6,500, according to the Labour Ministry.
Cinema operators will get Gy$11,400 per week; cashiers and ticket collectors Gy$8,900; sweeper/cleaners Gy$6,900 and general staff Gy$10,900. Security guards will now be entitled to a minimum of Gy$140 per hour, compared to Gy$100 per hour four years ago.