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Minimum wage rate review underway: Acting PM

May 14, 2018 12:50 am

Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum today slammed claims made by National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad in parliament about the minimum wage rate.

Prasad claimed the last minimum wage rate did not apply to the wages council as some council sectors were paying below the minimum wage.

Sayed-Khaiyum questioned Prasad’s sources adding that it’s always incorrect.

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The Minister confirmed the review of the minimum wage rate has already commenced adding the ten sectorial wages council is also under review.

“None of them get paid below the minimum wage. If he’s referring to the trainees who are in the government sector – that’s a different sector altogether but all of them have had a review and have had increases and in fact the salary rates are more than $2.68 an hour. In fact they range from $2.78 to $5.57 an hour. In the case of a building foreman, market wage rate currently stands at $10-$15 an hour, qualified electrician is $8-$10 an hour.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says these are the market prevailing rates and all ten sectorial wages have increased as well.

He reiterated the minimum wage rate is only for unskilled labour force while everyone else has a higher rate than that.