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‘Min. wage should be at least $7.00’ – Radio show caller

- to cater for persons who must travel to Tortola to conduct business
A caller into the Speak Out BVI radio show of Tuesday March 24, 2015 believes that even if the minimum wage is raised from $4.00 to $6.00, it would not cover the cost of a round trip to Tortola for someone living on Anegada who has to travel to conduct business on the main island. The show was hosted by Doug Wheatley and was aired on ZBVI 780 AM. Photo: VINO/File
Chairman of the Minimum Wage Committee Simon Potter, speaking on the talk show, said that in terms of enforcement, they will recommend to the Government that the Labour Department make sure that employers are at least paying the minimum wage. Photo: VINO/File
Chairman of the Minimum Wage Committee Simon Potter, speaking on the talk show, said that in terms of enforcement, they will recommend to the Government that the Labour Department make sure that employers are at least paying the minimum wage. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - A caller to the Speak Out BVI radio show of Tuesday March 24, 2015 on ZBVI 780 AM believes that even if the minimum wage is raised from $4.00 to $6.00, it would not cover the cost of a round trip for someone living on Anegada who has to travel to conduct business on the main island of Tortola.

“In 1999 there was the last increase,” the man said. “Taking into consideration that in the BVI things are expensive and not cheap, for example a person living and working on Anegada from some of the Caribbean islands or from Tortola or wherever, they get on the ferry and they have to pay $50 round trip,” he said.

“Now presently you’re paying a person $4.00 an hour. If you multiply 4 by 8 you’ll get 32. Now if you raise the minimum wage from $4.00 to $6.00 an hour, you’re going to pay that person $48.00 per day, so they still have to come up with $2.00 dollars more to pay the boat for a round trip ticket to come to Tortola to do their banking and their shopping etc.,” he said.

The caller said that if the minimum wage is raised from $4.00 to $7.00 a day it goes to $56.00 dollars per day. “So they might have $6.00 change in their pocket after paying the boat,” he said.

“But I realise that we cannot raise the minimum wage 100 percent because we have to look at the cost of living, we have to look at the economy and a lot of other factors before we can call zeros out the sky,” the caller opined.

He added that Government should look at raising the minimum wage from $4.00 to $6.00 in the first instance and see if it is affordable for the employers, after which $7.00 could be considered.

The caller said also that there are some employers who are not meeting the $4.00 per hour minimum wage and called for the authorities to take action to prosecute such employers.

Chairman of the Minimum Wage Committee Simon Potter, speaking as a guest on the talk show hosted by Doug Wheatley, said that in terms of enforcement, they will recommend to the Government that the Labour Department make sure that employers are at least paying the minimum wage. The committee is to submit its report to government with the recommended figure and this it anticipates will be done towards the end of April or early May 2015.

13 Responses to “‘Min. wage should be at least $7.00’ – Radio show caller”

  • ooooo (01/04/2015, 09:37) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    the NDP raising all taxes and even the entrance fee for politicians but not the minimum wage
  • Realist (01/04/2015, 09:41) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
    8.25 per hour
  • concern (01/04/2015, 10:38) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    They raise what ever they want to suit themselves but the minimum wage is a merry go round instead of wasting tax payers money the minister should have gone in each district and consult with the people when he want votes I am quite sure we will see his face.
  • lil man (01/04/2015, 10:55) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    You will never get this fixed under the ndp too much conflix of interest yall
    • please (01/04/2015, 14:30) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      STHU when VIP was in power this last time the only person on their team that talked about the issue was Vernon Malone. Sadly his lawyer skills were not enough to make his colleagues to pay attention.
  • 2% (01/04/2015, 11:23) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    The minimum wage should be $10 per hour; period! Simply get more for hours worked. Think about having proper shifts. Make the workforce competitive and people will work hard to keep their jobs; but they MUST be paid well.
  • Citizen (01/04/2015, 12:37) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    ndp raise up every thing except the minimum wage, departure tax from 5 to 15, a passport from 40 to 125, 3 year driver license from 45 to 55 and the list goes on and on, yet the minimum wage stays at a pitiful 4 dollars an hour
    • Yes (01/04/2015, 14:21) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      VIP had 40 years to make all things right and they were the Government just 4 years ago, how all of a sudden everything bad? That says a lot.
  • kk (01/04/2015, 14:32) Like (23) Dislike (3) Reply
    I think we need to have two standard of minimum wage---$5.75 FOR The businesses that do under a million dollar in business and $6. 75 for businesses that do over a million dollar in business...
  • wize up (01/04/2015, 19:12) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    a number of the small establishments in this territory are owned by its citizens; you asking the small man now to pay those big per hour rates....the per hour rates should be based on the annual income of the given establishment....
  • Touring (01/04/2015, 22:52) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    People need to be paid for the level of work they produce. There are some businesses even if they pay $20.00 per to their employees they will still complain; they are rude to the customers, disrespectful and not helpful. Some of these employees don't deserve a penny. As the Virgin Islands is becoming a major tourist destination, the tourist will be taking note and they will talk and write. The cruise passenger experience a lot of this ill mannered behavior.
    Be VIGILANT and take heed. Me warn You
  • AMERICA (02/04/2015, 14:29) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    With all those multi-million dollars homes and boats in the BVI it is a real shame how little wages the people who provide all of the required services on the islands get and can't get a little more in their pockets. I read that the cost of living in BVI is up their with Manhattan NY. In NY City you can't exist on anything less that $15.00/hr and be virtually homeless at that level. I think all non-belongers with homes and boats should have to anty up more for services by locals.
  • Billfargo (03/04/2015, 22:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The minimum wage in America has been $7.50 for a long time and the President of the United States and with all of the studies has concluded that keeping in touch with the cost of living any where it is too low, and seeing that the BVI is always trying to keep up with the American standards of living; Why would any one think that $7.00 an hour is fair pay for any kind of work? (Raise and set the minimum pay to at least $10.00 for one hours work). OK!


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