Minimum Wage Advisory Committee Holds Town Hall Meeting

By:  Flynn Bush

On Wednesday night, August 16th, the hall at UCCI was the site of an important town hall meeting.  The minimum wage having instituted seven years ago, is now drawing the attention of the government.  As such, the eighteen appointed members of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee are in the middle of preparing a report to present to Cabinet.  The topic has been put out to the public for consultation using surveys.  Wednesday night’s meeting was the next step in the process of determining the public pulse on the issue.

In the hall that night, there were some sixty members of the public.  Committee Chairperson, Mr. Lemuel Hurlston led the meeting, beginning with an introduction and synopsis of the issue at hand.  Mr. Hurlston spoke of the government’s desire to address the issue and to “get it right.”  He discussed the different aspects of the topic, such as the differentiation between a minimum wage and a livable wage; the poverty line and the vulnerability line; and the concerns of the employer versus those of the employee. 

After the initial introduction, the meeting was opened to questions and comments from the audience.  There were many issues highlighted and many other queries initiated.  Such issues as the comparable strength of our economy compared to other countries makes a minimum-wage-paying job more attractive, and feasible, for a foreigner than a Caymanian.  Also, the need to consider that some employers will not be able to afford a higher wage for their workers without the business folding.  Additionally, it was pointed out that some employees are also employers; particularly of lower wage workers like domestic helpers and nannies.

The committee, led by Mr. Hurlston, tried their best to answer each query and to take a note of the audience members’ points.  They did admit that they are not equipped to answer every question with sufficient facts; primarily because they are not privy to all of the data and analyses on the topic.   Although some members of the public left the meeting feeling like they did not get the answers they sought, almost all had to acknowledge that the job of the committee is a difficult one.  The report is set to be delivered to the government by the end of September so the next few weeks, the committee has to peruse, discuss and record the points residents have put forward; both employees and employers.