No condition to review minimum wage: Minister

THE Government has clarified that there is no clause in the Minimum Wages Determination of 2014 to set up a minimum wage board to review the minimum wage after three years.
Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations Alfred Manase said there was a clause in the 2014 Minimum Wages Board determination that stated the minimum wage “shall be reviewed after three years from the date of registration of the 2014 Determination”.
He said the determination stated that it “shall operate from the date of registration in the National Gazette and remains in operation until superseded by a future Minimum Wages Board Determination or an alternate appropriate body established under the appropriate legislation”.
Manase said the 2014 Minimum Wage Determination provides for, inter alia, minimum wage applicable to all employers and employees to whom the Employment Act 1978 applies.
“A minimum wage employee is defined as, an unskilled aged 16 and over in formal employment in any industry in either urban or rural area who may or may not be represented by an industrial organisation and if not so represented is considered incapable of entering into a Collective Bargaining process.
“The welfare of workers in the country is the responsibility of the Government, employers and trade unions.
“The three tripartite parties benefit from these workers and not only the Government.”