The Opposition United Workers’ Party (UWP) has strongly criticized the government’s proposed minimum wage of $6.50 per hour or $1,126 per month, emphasizing that it is inadequate in light of the current cost of living.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Guy Joseph, the UWP’s first Deputy Leader, underscored the escalating cost of essential goods as a primary justification for raising the minimum wage to $8 per hour. Joseph highlighted various cost increases, such as the nearly doubled price of bread, the artificially high fuel cost of $16.50, and the soaring prices of cooking gas and groceries.
He also pointed to the government’s imposition of a 2.5% levy at KFC, arguing that the proposed $6.50 minimum wage would be insufficient in covering these expenses. Expressing apprehension, Joseph also raised the issue of potential employer exploitation of the minimum wage proposal. He voiced concerns that some employers currently paying wages above the proposed minimum might reduce wages to the minimum rate if the government’s proposal is enacted.
The UWP asserts that the minimum wage proposal is a political tactic by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) in anticipation of the upcoming elections. Joseph highlighted the government’s shift in rhetoric from a “livable wage” to a “minimum wage” and criticized the proposed rate as one of the lowest in the region.
Joseph remarked, “First of all, the government spoke about a livable wage and all of a sudden the discussion changed from a livable wage to a minimum wage. I believe it is embarrassing to go to parliament to pass a law – where Dominica is $10, St Kitts is about $9.50. In fact, the only country in the OECS that would have a lower minimum wage than us is St Vincent, which is at $6.25.”
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