Labor Commissioner Joseph Joseph has urged employers to prepare to comply with the upcoming National Minimum Livable Wage, set to take effect on October 1, 2024.
This long-overdue measure will ensure that every Saint Lucian earns a minimum wage of $6.52 per hour or $1,131 monthly. The aim is to promote economic equity across sectors.
The minimum wage would be separate from any incentives, bonuses, commissions, or service charges employees earn.
However, some observers have raised serious concerns that employers might resort to layoffs and dismissals due to the financial constraints resulting from the new law.
The Labor Commissioner emphasised that officials strongly discourage such practices.
“We do not encourage companies to use layoff or redundancy, due to the minimum wage,” he noted. “ The minimum wage is a blessing to our people, those at the lower end of the scale. It’s an opportunity for them to eat bread.” Joseph added.
The Commissioner warned that strict penalties could result if employers fail to comply with the law.
“There are provisions made in the Act as far as penalties for people who breach the legislation. So we have a $10,000 fine as well as the six-month imprisonment, either or, or both,” he highlighted.
“Do not use the minimum wage as a punishment. It is not meant to be that. It is supposed to be an achievement for us. Let us celebrate instead of punishing people,” Joseph declared.
The Labour Commissioner has encouraged employees to familiarise themselves with the legislation and their state-mandated rights.
The Department of Labour is embarking on a sensitisation campaign, with an official roadshow scheduled for next month.
Before the legally mandated minimum wage took effect, Labour Minister Dr. Virginia-Albert Poyotte had announced an extension of the minimum wage commission’s term to monitor the minimum wage implementation process, including any layoffs due to the measure.
He said that every saint Lucian shouldn’t earn less than $6.52 per hour or $1,131 monthly.
Let’s see right now they can’t fire you because of this good but they should be charge much more because they will fire staffs before it takes effect u should fined them if they fire staffs in September especially the hotels and security firms
I am for the minimum wage. However, why should I be penalties if I can’t afford it at this point? In my view the timing is bad. The economy is not doing too well. The employers are not doing well. We all knew that before the increase was spoken about. This was done after a 2.5% levy was inposed on the public. I would have liked to see the government remove the 2.5% levy and also reduce on tax for the employers.
All technocrats know full well there is jack squat y’all can do about companies cutting their costs to counter this increased expense. If that cost is firing workers then so be it. A minimum wage has many consequences. You cannot force a company to be unprofitable. Company fails and EVERYBODY gets fired. Would you rather sacrifice some workers or everyone? The other option is to have the owners make less profit. Who invests in a business with minimal profitability? The other option is increased prices to offset increased costs. That falls on the consumer who is already suffering in a highly inflationary environment. Pick your poison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7nB0OyZ7ns
The country has to have a minimum to stop the exploitation of thousands of workers and also to have standards as it relates to foreign investment . There are workers in the private sector who are earning 3 to 5 EC dollars working 12 to 18 hour shifts which in my opinion is modern day slavery . The government has given the private sector enough time so they need to comply with the new wage rate in our country there or also penalties and fines if they do not comply . The NIC has to work with the minimum wage commission to see that the workers get the new rate as it will reflect in the amount of money that they get workers need to get a new union as the NWU is not making any sense…
There has to be a way for government to enforce a minimum wage without looking stupid.
This is some bizarre crap. Shades of Maduro’s economy. Does the government dictate a business owner’s profitability? Who is responsible for the business loss? Someone has definitely lost his marbles.
I welcome the Minimum wage that government is putting in place. But with the labour department headed by a joker as commission, that do nothing labour department will do nothing if employers don’t comply or do what they want.
The Commissioner needs to return to his retirement and give the department a chance to breathe.