Suckoo: $5 wage too low
(CNS): Following his decision to vote in favour of the private member’s motion on 'one man, one vote' (OMOV) in the Legislative Assembly Friday evening, Alva Suckoo has also revealed that the only reason why he voted against the motion regarding minimum wage was because he believed $5 is too low even as a starting point. The Bodden Town backbencher said that he supports the minister’s decision to do the research in order to arrive at rate which will make a difference and end the exploitation of cheap labour but he believes that the research should only take weeks, not months, as he called for a speedy implementation.
Suckoo told CNS that he had intended to speak on the issue during the debate on the private member’s motion presented by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller last week, which asked government to implement a minimum wage starting at $5 per hour. However, Suckoo said he missed the speaker’s last call.
No other member spoke on the issue of a minimum wage last week following the employment minister’s damning criticisms of Miller’s motion and her indication that government would be engaging in considerable research and analysis before it would be considering any basic rate. Although the PPM campaigned in favour of a minimum wage and its implementation as an early priority, Tara Rivers, who was backed by the Coalition for Cayman, is understood to be opposed in principle.
Suckoo said, however, that he does believe Cayman needs to introduce a minimum wage as soon as possible. Although he could not agree with the amount recommended in the motion, he said the time had come for its implementation.
Cheap labour began replacing Caymanian school leavers when the recession kicked in, resulting in high Caymanian unemployment, he said.
“Caymanian students are leaving high school with no prospects for employment,” he noted. “The previous government had a policy of simply approving work permits and the NWDA received no attention and became dysfunctional.”
He pointed to people living in sub-standard overcrowded housing as a result of the importation of cheap foreign labour and said that the authorities had ignored the social problems this has created. As the son of an immigrant, he said, he also had an interest in seeing that foreign workers are also treated fairly.
“Unethical and unscrupulous behaviour and what I consider corrupt practices have made Caymanians second-class citizens in our own country,” the backbencher said. “In a country with 20,000 work permits and more jobs than the local work force, there is no excuse anyone can offer for the level of unemployment we are witnessing. It has become systemic.”
Suckoo said that a minimum wage would not, as some believe, be inflationary but he said it would achieve a fair, effective and balanced relationship between local and expatriate labour. Hourly rates for some jobs have not moved in decades, despite increases in the cost of living, so anyone who opposes the notion of employee protection is “either blind to the facts or deliberately ignoring them,” he added.
“The argument that a minimum wage would put unskilled labourers out of work began to unravel in the 1990’s,” he told CNS. “Studies conducted during that period proved that all things being equal, small increases in minimum wage had no significant impact on employment in the low-skilled population.
“As lawmakers, it is our duty to ensure that we set the line below which wages must not fall,” Suckoo said, adding that the government and MLAs needed to demonstrate that they subscribe to a higher moral and ethical standard than those who allow the exploitation of workers within their industries.
But with arguments that the wage should be now to set at $5, $7, $8 or even $10 was an indication, Suckoo observed, that the government doesn’t yet have the necessary data and research to make an informed decision. He said he supported the decision to conduct the research but he hoped to see the work completed sooner rather than later so that it would be brought to the LA as quickly as possible for passage.
“I haven’t forgotten that a minimum wage was a promise I made on the campaign trail and I remain committed to seeing this done,” he said, but noted that the exercise required precision.
The motion brought by Miller had requested government change the labour law to implement a $5 rate as a minimum wage as a starting point, which could be reviewed. But if the country didn’t begin somewhere, it would continue arguing about it for another twenty years, he said.
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Category: Politics
Any point you have, valid or not is overshadowed by your lack of spelling and grammar.
I firmly believe in a minimum wage – this is how much you get as an introduction to an industry with no experience and no track record, and should be deservedly low for that industry. However I believe instituting a blanket minimum wage in the Cayman Islands may be a reckless proposition. Perhaps a sliding scale would be better according to industry? I don't know, but what I do know is my company cannot afford to pay a Busser or a Dishwasher $8 per hour. Might as well close the doors tomorrow. Thank the high cost of doing business as a whole for that (utilities, rents, ingredients etc.).
The pay is minimal with a minimum wage (hence the word) so you have to prove your worth to get more – that is the foundation of a free market and is an incentive for the Employee to go above and beyond. A minmum wage should not reflect exhibited performance over the long term, dedication, ability to show up for work and show up on time as scheduled, and productivity. This is earned and it is something many of my fellow Caymanians will not get their head around or are willing to subject themselves to (re: entitlement syndrome). I welcome a base (minimum) wage so long as it is conveyed to all that you need to work hard, show your employer you are worth the investment and to have them pay according to your demonstrated value and dependability. I am an employer. Help me make my business a success and I will reward you. Come in and expect to have respect and inflated compensation for doing a half-@$$ed job and I will happily show you the door.
The general conversation on wages is that of a living wage. Restaurants pay their bussers or dishwashers 3 to 4 dollars an hour . If the Restaurant is complying with the law they have to deduct insurance and pension from their wages. Secondly, the employee has to either take a bus or some form of transport to get to work, then they have to buy and maintain clothes for work ,( uniforms are sometimes bestowed) food has to be purchased for at least two meals a day, clothes have to be washed ,and the workers expense tab goes on and on. The employer who feels comfortable in paying an employee 3 to 4 dollars an hour should not be allowed to be licensed to do business.
A person who is only employable enough to earn a salary of just $4/hr has created their own peril – this is not the employers fault. Learn skills, work hard, exhibit an exemplary work ethic to your employer, go to school, take up a trade, take pride in what you do, be humble, be responsible, be dependable, be cooperative, be a team player, do what you are asked and more, go above and beyond, show up for work on time and continually strive to better yourself and you will never have to worry about being paid just $4 an hour, ever (orat least for a very long time).
Yes but even after all of that is done the restaurants will still need bussers,
If you cant dazzel me with brilliance, Baffel me with Bull Crap. Sukoo is so full of it.
In all of this back and forth, I have not seen anyone stand up to the thruth. There is no standard in cayman. We can teach people how to fill out applications and write resumes, but in the end that is all you have thaught them. When will we have someone with theGalls like Mr. Anglin to admit that cayman has a serious employability problem. Not just admit it, but try to find a solution. Who will be the real solution Trade School leader.?
If we create min wages tied in to Trade School courses and such, we can then increase the permit fees and let the permit be approved, This way the school is being paid by the excess fees attached to permits. The buisness will at some point decide to apply for permits which would be a waste of time if we can get the average caymanian to have good work ethics and understand how to put in a days work for a days pay.
In the end we want to give the buisness what they want, as well as getting the standard of work up by trade school. If we continue to make every person that arrive here feel that all they have to do is to get married to caymanain, we will be left with broken homes and a lot more problems as the children would be all confused again.
NWDA have a list of certain people that they have to admit are constantly ungrateful and will never be satisfied no matter what work or salary they are offered. The work ethichs will always be that of "I am caymanian" and have no care or fear of weather the buisness fails or not. They continue to send these people out to the small companies. They know what happens when they send them to the bigger establishments that are not intimidated by them. It seem each person at the NWDA have conflicts. Each nationality there look out for their own people. At present the NWDA have no purpose, and no use, but another burden on the Cayman Islands Goverment, Every person working there while operating a buisness should be released from there post. As it is a double standard and obviously they are already employed so they can help the goverment by that much salary lesser each month.
This is where the problem lies, once we can get past that complacent mentaility, All those immigration officers will have to find new employment. Or will be without work, since no buisness will have need to hire a qualified immigration office. And that line of work will be out of style.
Get the Trade school started , then we can start to talk about min Wages for various sectors. as each course come in to effect and we see the results, we start to set min wages based on those results. You get approved, then the min salary issue would be another history, as all buisness would prefer trained and cultured persons with good work ethics over paying and going through the grill for a permit.
Cayman , can you handle that? Can you ask your leaders to push forward on a Trade School, instead of pushing companies out of buisness? Or do you still think it is the employers problem to train and educate and offer work ethic training on the job?
And yes, I have no time to run a spell check. I have my job to go to now. all you word wizs can do the correction for me. Thanks.
Spell check, Caps lock and Punctuation are all your friend. Nobody over age 8 should need spell check for the words dazzle and baffle. #JMO
Is all you can say " you should fix your spelling" .
What if the wrighter has dyslexia ?
or speaks many languages
How about I pick on you for your improper use of English?
Da mos importiant ting is that u undirstan the massiage
Al, use your good sense. Whether the $5 suggested by Miller is enough or not is not the real issue at this time. It is a starting point and can be adjusted later but what IS important is that at least a wage will be set which will preven so many poor people in this country from being taken advantage of.
Does anyone still believe in the Free Market and the invisible hand of competition to regulate prices in the economy?
As everyone knows, from previous posts, I support a minimum wage and rapid pay increases thereafter. I support Caymanian employment, on the job training and mentoring. I don’t want to give a Caymanian a job, I want them to earn it and feel the reward as quickly as possible. A minimum wage is small, first step in the right direction.
The threat of a higher cost of living is just that a threat. Sometimes I think I’m listening to a debate on why slavery shouldn't be abolished. Utterly ridiculous, selfish and wrong.
More for me, less for you. People who complain that they can’t afford to pay a decent wage don’t have the right to have an employee.
Imagine an employer who will not pay $6 per hour but happily spends $40 or more to take their kids to the movies. That treat is a days pay by their way of thinking. Maybe we could reduce the cost of living by reducing the cost of movie tickets.
I know a lady who cleans houses for a living, earns $10 per hour and gets more done in 4 then most do in 8. She’s my first choice. No music, no TV, just work.
Alva’s comments about ultra-cheap imported labour driving Caymanian’s out of the labour force hits a bull’s eye. Possibly much more then most people want to admit.
Hypocrite is word that comes to mind. I’m just not sure if its accurate, feels a little weak compared to how I see them.
We can criticize Caymanians for their weaknesses and we would be right. But its also an easy self-serving, slightly superior response.
At the end of the day we can’t just push the less fortunate or even the troublesome members of our community back into a hole and not expect repercussions. Out of sight, out of mind, has a habit of bitting you in the as I was saying:
They are our problem and we can’t ignore them. We need to think of them more as children or bothers and sisters and reach out and try to find every way that we can to encourage them to start the move forward. Giving up is not an option and a good minimum wage isn’t the answer but it is a start.
What should a minimum wage be, depends but $6 still feel too small and shouldn’t last for more that a month or two. I would start higher and find an excuse for a raise as soon as possible. Of course I’m not a big fan of using HR to control my employees either, but that's another topic. For something a little different watch the video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFnT4AbJLrw
This senator blasts this panel on Minimum wages. Suggesting living wages
Not too long avideo, impressive that he went this route.
Thank you Dennis for a breath of fresh air! I was getting concerned with all the knee jerking.
Please help me understand the problem;
1. Minimum wage goes up and employers are forced to make staff cuts. which staff do you cut, the caymanian or the work permit holder?
2. Less work permits means less revenue for the Gov. where will the loss of revenue come from.
3. Increased labor cost will result directly in increased cost to the consumer which will raise the cost of living, which brings us back to the starting position. So how do we get out of this cycle?
First, don't go into business if you can't pay your worker fairly. CASE CLOSED!
Did you even read the article ?
In response to "Not a priority Marco Archer' comment above, please do not take the Minister's comment out of context.
The talk show today clarified and cemented Marco Archer's stance on both the OMOV and the mnimum wage. Had you been listening properly or had brain enough to understand you would know that he is not a 'cop out' but a man of his word. He takes his time to consider all points of view to come up wit th best possible solution in matters concering what actions are best for the country..
Ministers/poltitians with the magnitude of responsibly such our leaders have, dare not rush in where anges fear to tread.
Lets be honest abou this, how many Caymanians do you know earn less than $5 per hr, besides the ones in the tourist industry, were they recieve Grats, which in season these persons can be earning upto @20-$25perhr.. thats the facts
Caymanians dont want to do the lowen jobs becuase it is beneathus and someone else sold do it.. I dont know od one Caymanian who is helper (sorry except for the 2004 status grants), and for those hey dmand more cash i had one who left me becuase she thought she should now be paid $2,000pm.. LOL
I persnally think $4.50/5 prhr min wage is fine.. ust beuase i know Caymanians wll not ge out of bed for less than $10ph..
Whatwe should really be talking about is the 9,000 person colleng from Government every month, i personally know6 people who hae told me they dont have to go to wrk becuae Gov send there kids to nursery, pay the rent, electricity, water and also get money for food.a maybe Gov should mke these people get jobs first for what ever they can get.
As a GT'r i also want the current MLAs to follow u on their promises about mving he dump!!!!
Okay I am going to say this just one last time, increase the work permit fees for the low wage jobs and free market forces will cause employers to pay Caymanians more to do the work.
do not make me say it again
Foreign devil are you on a work permit. Just wondering!
My problem is that I dont think there are too many caymanians working for these slave labour levels. But there are Caymanians paying helpers at that level and there are cheap labour coming in and securing jobs because they are willing to work at those levels. In the end it will drive up the cost of living but it is hoped that it will impact the cheap labour market and force some to turn to hiring the Caymanians.
And as a Caymanian, if you hire a caymanian and he does not take this opertunity to live up to the mark then I have no problem with you telling the public these Caymanians that have betrayed their own people.
A living wage that takes into consideration the elements of living: food, water, electricity, clothing, transportation, health and life insurance, mortgage or loan payment, school books, school uniforms etc, is a wage that can allow the average work poker to live a sustainable life. A living minimum wage raises the level of consumption and allows for added spending power across a broader cross section of the community. There cannot be any argument placed to negate the right of " all" the people to live humanely. There cannot be any argument by the merchants when an increased spending volume is evident, and there can be no argument if a Government takes the correct steps in ensuring fairness throughout the community.
Any present or future politicians that cannot readily, swiftly and unequivocally make a decision on an important matter such as this do not deserve to be representatives of the people of the Cayman Islands. Nuf said.
$8 per hour is a fair enough! hopefully my Caymanian people will be in every area of the workforce if that’s in place! Wp n Cayman
The hue and cry of those against a minimum wage is nothing short of scare tactics. In a free enterprise system, the laws of supply and demand influenced by capital to invest and increased spending power will prevail. Those who wish to hugely increase their costs to compensate for the increase will find that competition will arise that allows for the shift of consumers to obtain the better prices from astute business people who understand that one one coco full basket and more cocos sold more baskets created .
Not a priority!! Marco Archer just went on Radio Cayman and TOLD us the public, his kids teacher conference at 3;30PM-4PM. Was more important than his vote for the country!!
I don't have kids. I still put my family before my job. How important is your job? Your family?
So funny that he got on the radio a few weeks ago to respond to c4c and said he had spent 2 days prepring and gathering information. But he cant spend 5 minutes at his job that the people elected and hired him to do. Another wasted vote.
Alva, whereas your promise to implement a minimum wage is respectable..How does it affect cost of living for everyone?
Gas station attendants, supermarket workers, security workers, kitchen and the lot..
If minimum wage goes up, the end cost will be passed on to the consumer.
This equals – higher gas prices, high bills at the supermarket, higher cost at establishments.
Who will absorb this costs? Struggling businesses already going out of business?
The common person like me who is trying to make ends meet?
Paying a helper $5 a hour means paying almost a $1000 or more @ 10 hours a day. People would rather put their kids in school
Other solutions, I will go out less, buy less, drive less which will hurt businesses.
On the flip side, domestic workers make more. Short term – good. Long term – bad
Not trying to start world war 3 on CNS with readers, I just want to know has anyone considered the long term effect on the economy.
Solution: DONT START A BUSINESS IF YOU CANT PAY – AND DONT HAVE KIDS IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!! Simple.
And you, my selfish friend, just exposed your selfish self! Put yourself in your helper's shoes. Would you survive on what you are paying them? Don't they too deserve a fair wage for their labour?
Here is a classic example of why employers shy away from hiring Caymanians. I went to a Lime store today to query why the data on my phone stopped working outside of wifi areas and here is how the covo went after I got to the counter:
Lime rep: How can I help you?
Me: Hi, I’m here because I can’t seem access the data on my phone anymore unless I’m using wifi
Lime rep: Oh, it’s not working right now, mine nah working nyda
Me: It’s been down since Saturday. Why haven’t Lime sent out a text to customers to notify us so we don’t waste time coming to the store?
Lime rep: I dunno why dey nah done dat yet
Me: Do you know when it might be fixed
Lime rep: I dunno
Me: Well, should I just go to Digicel then?
Lime rep: You could do that since theirs is working
Me: Hiss teeth,cuts eye and walks out!
#enoughsaid
Signed,
Caymanian Lime customer
"Me: Hiss teeth, cuts eye and walks out!" Sounds like you got an attitude problem as well. Ever hiss your teeth at me or cut eye at me, I will do the same to you like what they're doing to Caymanians!
To:Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/03/2014 – 13:16 The topic is minimum wage,not Lime's customer service,or expats vs Caymanians.Please stay on topic.
Great generalisation, there are plenty of well mannered intelligent Caymanians and there are rude ones. Just like there are rude, useless Americans, English, Australian…. every country has a mix don't expect Cayman to be any different. You don't see companies in the US not hiring Americans just because the woman at Walmart was useless…
I can confirm that the non-Caymanian who took my 40 minute call earlier was actually worse, she couldn’t even spell my name which is a very popular 2 syllable name.
Well, dats gud customer service na man? At lease he tell ya di hones trute bout you kin chek Digicel. Wa rong wid ya man?! Dis is Cayman.
Wait, is that a Caymanian Mentality or does that show how much interest Lime has to educate,train and structure their own employees.
I find it stupid that you would think Caymanians on general act like this. Lime is responsible for teaching their staff how to act and speak to the public when they are in a customer based role.
Whether you are a Caymanian or not, I find your attitude childish and you need to remove the chip from your shoulder. Maybe you should look at yourself and see if you are doing all that you can do to be the perfect Caymanian. Dumb a$$
Mr. Suckoo….here is the story:
Higher wages means higher cost to employers…higher cost to employers means high cost of goods/services….higher cost of goods/services means those with a minimum wage…have even worst problems purchasing food etc. The issue is the minimum wage is MARKED UP all the way along that chain.
This is not a simple issue to solve. Just putting up a higher minimum wage will only increase the cost of living…and that will affect those living on….on what??….living on the minimum wage!!!! not a simple solution.
THANK YOU MR. SUCKOO.
It is about time that we have young Caymanians in our elected Government with the passion and compassion for their people. Mr. Suckoo knows it is extremely hardpressed for Caymanians to live on CI$5 per hour when Companies who hire these employees and pay them less show millions in profits every year on their books. Time to pay the pipers their fair dues. This modern day slavery has to stop, and a decent liveable minimum wage is put in place that does not insult Caymanians anylonger in their country, and that will also reduce the number of cheap labourers we are importing. Caymanians don't want to work for slave wages, and can't pay their bills each month and provide for their families, they want to be paid a decent wage for the work they do, becuase we all know that these same companies overwork Caymanians, and under pay them and no one seems to care……BUT ALVA SUCKOO DOES. Mr. Suckoo you got my FULL SUPPORT, and I will advocate for you and keep you employed in this Govt. Thanks very much. God bless you, and God bless the Caymanian people.
Kerry, you do realize that if a minimum wage is implemented, EVERYTHING will cost more, so the minimum wage will do absolutely nothing to relieve the problem people are having with not being able to afford the cost of living.
Basic Math and Business 101 for the Cayman Islands.
I agree and support Al’s position that it has be reviewed and researched first. Get it right the first time and no need to correct it, just amendments as and when needed.
There cannot be a minimum wage across the board, applicable to all service industries. There is no way someone working as a laborer in the construction industry should be making or starting with $5 an hour.
Research needs to be done on the types of jobs and what is required to access what the minimum wage should be. Guidelines need to be established as to when wage increases should be given. Sorry to say that many employers do not allow for their conscience to guide them anymore on this issue.
Across the board $5 is too low. While I was in high school my first part time job paid me as a start$6.00 and it went up to $7.50 and this was in a local Pharmacy and retail shop. This was enough for me to meet my minuscule needs and wants at that time. I did not have any rent/mortgage transportation costs, or utilities, child care fees to factor in. This was over 20 years ago.
When i worked my first job 25 years ago I got paid 1.25 per hour, 7.50 for a part time job, only in Cayman
the rason many Caymanians cannot afford things on their current wage is they overspend, they have car loan sto drive around in a 30k car, when they can only afford a 3k car and then wonder where all their money goes every week. cut your expenditure.
Stop trying to impress your neighbours with things you can't afford
A little bit of fiscal prudence goes a long way
OK you vote against a motion and then you miss the speakers last call? How in God's name do you miss such an important opportunity at the most appropiate time to clear yourself and save yourself from future shame as such???
If you hadn't missed the call you would not have to give a lengthy explanation of why you voted no…your time could be spent doing oher important things!
Obviously something went awry that day in the LA. Mr. Archer also said this morning on Rooster that he missed the Speaker's last call as well. Al has nothing to be ashamed of.
The implementation of minimum wage is a double sided sword. imagine as a single parent havign to pay out over 5 dolalrs an hour for a domestic helper? the impositon of this requirement will do nothing but increase the amount of work permits help and do away with the need for a roll over policy as small businesses and individuals will not be able to afford the renewal of such.
Alva Suckoo is again showing courage to go against the official position of the regressives and speak to an issue he and the party promised but have not delivered on. He said it can be dealt with in a few weeks not months or years. Finally the truth!!!!!!!!!!!
If you keep this up they will kick you and Tony out of the party for trying to serve the people by keeping your word instead of the party.
Your courage continues doing good things for your people
Why don't you make it 20.00 an hour Al?
Just be done one time….
these guys are clueless about how markets work. Putting in a 5, 7, 10 minimum an hour won't makebit of difference on poverty. it will simply adjust via the cost of living.
The statement that a minimum wage of $5.00 per hour is too low in the absence of any study of the issue reflects one-dimensional thinking. It goes like this: if X shares makes $1,500 per month, we can increase his wages and therefore his ability to make ends meet if we force his employer to pay him $1,800 instead. This is very simplistic since there are many variables including whether X will have a job after the introduction of the minimum wage. It is not true that studies have shown that an increase in minimum wage had no significant impact on employment in the low-skilled population. A U.S. Congressional Budget Office report on the proposed increase in minimum wage in the U.S. estimates that it would reduce employment by 500,000. See also this article in Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/03/02/youth-unemployment-shows-the-effects-of-a-minimum-wage-that-is-too-high/
In any event we need a study which takes into account our local economy and workforce.
Why? If you don't wish to read them you can choose not to. The point of posting them was to refute Al's suggestion that recent studies had shown that increasing the minimum wage has no significant impact upon employment. However, he is right that right that if they are very small it will have no impact on employment but then it would also have no impact upon poverty and so would be pointless.
“Unethical and unscrupulous behaviour, and what I consider corrupt practices have made Caymanians second-class citizens in our own country,” the backbencher said. “In a country with 20,000 work permits and more jobs than the local work force, there is no excuse anyone can offer for the level of unemployment we are witnessing. It has become systemic.” Mr Suckoo, if you are willing to stand behind that statement, you have my support. The problem is:- where is the origin of the "unscrupulous and unethical behaviour". Solve that problem and some prominent Caymanians may be flying to Panama or Costa Rica. Alas, the will is not there, is it? I would urge the Caymanian people to speak up or forever be ridden over by "unscrupulous and unethical" people.
You telling caymanians to speak up! I totally agree with you.
They have the most fundamental freedom given to man, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of organisation….unions. Trade and labour unions.It is the only language any government is scared of.
I will say it again, do not leave this up to your politicians, they do not care for the wellfare of it's people. look at who is prospering in this little country.
"Wherever the real power in Government lies, there is the danger of oppression" James Madison speach, 1788
""But with arguments that the wage should be now to set the wage at $5, $7, $8 or even $10 was an indication Suckoo observed that the government doesn’t yet have the necessary data and research to make an informed decision.
Suggesting $10 would be an indication that he does not have a clue.
Read it again. He did not suggest 10:00 per hr. He said they are the numbers out there!!