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National Minimum Wage Order…Gov says it is working “assiduously” to pursue respect
Three months after the National Minimum Wage Order took full effect, the matter of its compliance has brought forth many questions as there exist reports of employers who have still not adapted to the legislation.
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon
The matter was brought to the fore at last week’s post-Cabinet press briefing where the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon refuted claims that sufficient mechanisms are not in place to ensure that the Order is enforced.
The Cabinet Secretary said that even if mechanisms of enforcement were readily available, it is not realistic to contend that the legislation will immediately be adopted by all business places.
“There is hardly anywhere in the world where a legislative intervention one day later could miraculously end up with 100% compliance,” he said.
He said that it is to be expected that there will be specific areas that hamper complete implementation of any legislation as seems to be the case with the National Minimum Wages Order.
The Cabinet Secretary urged too that one must not lose sight of the fact that workers have been denied the measures provided for in the Order since the minimum wage had not been attended to for more than two decades.
The Order that came into effect on July 1, 2013 provided that every person employed in Guyana, including domestic workers and security guards, should not be paid less than $202 per hour, $1,616 per day, $8,080 per week and $35,000 per month. It was specified that a normal working week should comprise of 40 hours and not exceed five days per week.
It further assured that any employer found guilty of breaching the regulations, issuing wages or salaries in amounts less than the stipulated amounts ,will be liable to a fine of $35,000 for the first offence. For a second violation of the Order, a fine of $70,000 and one month’s imprisonment will be enforced.
The Cabinet Secretary stressed that the door is open to discourse with those who are aggrieved by the implications of the specifics of the Order. He said that Government will be working assiduously to pursue respect for the Order should they become aware of any noncompliance.
“The Ministry of Labour and employees will be the vigilant forces to advise and inform us about callous disregard for the provisions of that Order and for action to be taken; and that has already started,” he said.
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