$2.68 Is Not The Only Minimum Wage For All Sectors: Assistant Minister

People have many misunderstandings about minimum wage for the formal and informal sectors.

Those were the comments made by the Assistant Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Alvick Maharaj, during a talanoa session in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Civic Centre in Nadi yesterday.

The Assistant Minister was responding to a participant who asked for any possibility of increasing the minimum wage of $2.68 for workers who worked 48 hours in a shift.

Mr Maharaj said there were 11 sectors, which have different minimum wages.

“There is a lot of misunderstanding about these. We have 11 sectors. $2.68 is not the only minimum wages that is set for all the sectors.

“Different sectors have different wages. $2.68 is basically for those people who are actually treated as informal sector such as labourers and house girls and people who come to your house to clean the drain.

“People who are in formal sectors, their rate are above $3. The minimum wage rate increase as our economy is growing.”

Another participant, Amit Kumar, asked for any possibility about increasing the minimum wage rate and said: “Suppose a worker works for 48 hours with the amount of $2.68, he/she may probably get $129 per week.

“With the inclusion of may be 8 per cent FNPF deduction, that worker may receive $120 or may be $90. Is it possible to put food on the table with this minimum wages? I think it is very hard and food prices and the cost of living are going up. Is it possible for the minimum wage to increase so their families can survive?”

Mr Maharaj said the Government would only carry out a salary increase that was in line with the economy. He also said the ministry would carry out a survey to review the minimum wage rate.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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