Labour Department to investigate less than minimum wage payments

Employers who are paying their workers below the minimum wage have been put on notice by Minister of Labour
Steadroy Benjamin that his department will be investigating this breach of the law.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Benjamin said businesses that file Work Permit applications for non-nationals have been indicating that full time employees were being paid less than $8.20 per hour.
“I want to warn employers about this. I have received a number of applications for Work Permits and employers are so bold that they will state on the application form that they will be paying employees $7 …We are going to investigate all of you who come here with all this kind of funny thing,” the minister said.
During the Budget Debate, yesterday, Benjamin said that employees have been forced to work 12-hour shifts, in some cases, for two days per week, and this was unacceptable.
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)