Time to raise minimum wage

THE EDITOR: I was not at all surprised by the avalanche of hypocrisy and deprecation which flowed into the public domain following JTUM's Labour Day call for a minimum wage of $30.

The working class has had to contend with so many increases from all sectors, not the least of which is the Government and I restate that gasoline prices were raised sky high, imports have shot up from international conflicts, while every single increase in inputs have been passed by the private sector onto the working class, without conscience.

Yet management car parks as well as parking spots for all parliamentarians are crammed with the latest high-end vehicles.

This follows shamefully the Government's line of four per cent over 13 years on the basis that to give more would result in a lower work force. Well I am here to dare them: raise the minimum wage and send workers home.

Indeed, it is an absolute industrial hate crime the way some members of society have decried a most reasonable, timely and appropriate proposal for an increase in not just the minimum wage but all wages and salaries, on the simplest premise that at current levels, the cost of living has simply outstripped the earnings of most if not all of the middle class.

So a minimum wage of $17.50 does nothing for grocery bills, taxi fares and doctor bills. A 40-hour work week will get you $700 and a doctor visit alone is $300. Where does that leave you? Gosh, how wicked can some people be.

Doubles will rise to $11, a 2-bedroom apartment will be $6,000, someone predicted in a letter. This is bizarre idiocy, since labour is not the only input into the cost of production.

There is no better time to consider an upward adjustment in the minimum wage. Give workers a chance at a decent living wage.

Good news is that the Ministry of Labour is giving due consideration to an increase, no matter if it's around $22.50. I wish Black Stalin were here, so he could call on Peter to "bun" all these haters.

LINDA CAPILDEO

Port of Spain