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Now is the time for a wage increase – FITUG
Kaieteur News – The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) is calling on the government to implement the unanimously agreed upon $60,000 national minimum wage, stating that now is the time to approve the increase given current constraints occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and now, rising oil prices that will impact several areas of consumer life.
Although the national minimum wage stands at $44,200, under the coalition government public servants minimum wage had moved up to over $70,000. However, the private sector has not responded to calls for them to increase the minimum wage.
FITUG wants pay increase for workers now
In a press statement, FITUG said that it has been more than two months since the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) which comprises representatives of the labour movement, the business sector and the government unanimously agreed to hike the national minimum wage to $60,000 monthly, but to date, there has been no word as to whether Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton who chairs the NTC has taken the committee’s decision to Cabinet and whether it has been approved.
FITUG said it has long advocated an improvement in the national minimum wage and thinks that now that increase is most necessary. “We believe it is now necessary that workers at the basement level benefit from an improvement in their pay levels. We hasten to remind that the last improvement was as far back as 2016 and without a doubt, the conditions of life are not the same.”
The FITUG contended that given the hikes in the cost-of-living most recently evident by the substantial hike in the cost of fuel, there is no justification to continue to perpetuate a denial of the improvement. The body said that given the all-round support, which the decision received, it felt that the approval of the hike was a mere formality and high expectations were had that workers at this time would have benefitted from the improvement.
“We urge, at this time, that the procrastination be brought to an end and our nation’s workers receive the deserving hike in the national minimum wage,” FITUG urged. Minister Hamilton has however related to the Kaieteur News that the proposed hike in the minimum wage has already been taken to Cabinet and is actively being considered. The Minister pointed out too that the FITUG being a member of the NTC is aware that the committee’s decision was taken to Cabinet.
“The point must be made that FITUG is a member of the committee and they are fully aware of what is taking place. They know that the decision was taken to the Cabinet and the matter is under active consideration at the level of Cabinet.”
Minister Hamilton said that just days ago, he made it public that the wage increase is under consideration by the government, and said that when that process is completed, he would of course be able to relate the necessary information to the public. FITUG has been under the impression however that there may be attempts afoot by the business sector to “stall” an improvement in the National Minimum Wage. This particular wage increase matter has been in the public since the previous APNU-government, and FITUG has since felt that the business community may not be in unison with the matter based on utterances made.
FITUG said it was “heartened” when the National Tripartite Committee made the unanimous approval in April of 2020, but noticed that the former government never implemented the improvement, while engagements with them on the matter, “got no further than platitudes.” Now in 2022, FITUG is contending that it is most important at this time that private workers are able to manage with the social changes currently permeating.
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