DALLEY
HORACE DALLEY, minister of labour and social security, has announced that the new national minimum wage will be implemented on February 1, 2005.
"We did take the national minimum wage to Cabinet on Monday. Cabinet accepted and passed the national minimum wage but I will not announce it (the percentage increase) until after Christmas," the minister said yesterday. He was addressing the annual end of year luncheon for the board of directors and staff of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) at the Terra Nova Hotel in St. Andrew.
The minister revealed that the increase was a little more than 11.5 per cent.
NEW SALARY BAR
Mr. Dalley apologised for not having the new salary bar in place by January 1, as was earlier promised. He pointed out that having been endorsed by the Cabinet, the new figure will now have to be approved by Parliament which will resume sitting early in the new year, following the Christmas break. The minister told the board of directors luncheon that there would be an annual review of the minimum wage.
"It was accepted by the Cabinet that we will have this annual adjustment and that the inflation numbers for the year will guide the final adjustment that is made," Dalley said.
Last week, the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission submitted its recommendations to the minister after having listened to submissions from stakeholders in the field last month.
The National Minimum Wage was last increased in 2003, moving from $1,800 to $2,000 per week, an increase of 11.1 per cent. The rate for industrial security guards was increased by 13.15 per cent, moving from $2,828 to $3,200 per week.
