Minimum wage, working hours must be carefully considered

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,
I wish to first of all point out that this subject of the 40-hour per week or five working days was engaging the attention of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) for a number of years, and acting upon the urgings of that body for the enactment of the bill, tripartite meetings were held years ago.
According to the labour minister, a consensus was reached that the implementation of the new national minimum wage of Gy$ 35,000 per month will take effect from the July 1, 2013. It is, however, regrettable that the government has rushed into this arrangement as business communities foresee a wide range of difficulties in the implementation.
However, employees including domestic workers, manual workers, and watchmen will benefit if the Labour Ministry would monitor and examine employers’ books to see if minimum wages are being paid and the 40-hour is adhered to, as fixed in the new legislation.
Moving vigorously on the implementation does not make sense, since Guyana already enjoys too many holidays without production. Low production is the direct cause of our poverty and changing the working hours would significantly decrease the national output of goods and services.
History teaches us otherwise.
It states that fewer working hours corrode economic growth, and create inflation and reduction of work (all moving together – not inversely). Today the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate has climbed higher than ever, while the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) smoulders. The low production in some sectors that began almost some years ago is still with us.
Today we need a defence. Our economic planners must never forget the lessons of those enterprises struggling to make profits.
So wouldn’t it be appropriate to consult with the business community? This new labour legislation change, for a 40-hour week without reduction in pay and a minimum wage law for all working people, portal-to-portal, will definitely have some serious impact on production and the business community.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan

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