💰 Cayman Islands Government seeks public opinion on proposed minimum wage increase

The Cayman Islands Government (CIG) has made public the long-anticipated report from the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee (MWAC), which recommends a new basic national minimum wage of CI$8.75 per hour. The government has not yet indicated whether it will accept these recommendations or when the rate might be increased. The report, which took over a year to prepare, was discussed at a press briefing on Wednesday, but no members of the United Progressive Movement attended to present the CIG's stance on the document. 📊

Chief Officer Wesley Howell, who attended the briefing on behalf of the labour ministry, stated that the government is currently in a "listening exercise" stage, seeking feedback from the public and employers. The feedback will be collected over the next month before the minister presents it all to the Cabinet for a final decision. Howell indicated that while a Cabinet decision could be imminent, legislative changes will be required to address the MWAC's recommendations, which could take several months. The report also suggests phasing out the carve-out for employers in the hospitality industry to count gratuities as part of the minimum wage. 🗣️

Although the government is not obligated to accept the recommendations, there is public pressure to increase the basic wage due to the current rate of $6 per hour falling below Cayman's poverty line and being significantly devalued due to high inflation since its implementation in 2016. The public can send their views on the proposed increase, the phasing out of the gratuities subsidy, and the implementation of a new regime that will see the rate increase slightly every two years, depending on the rate of inflation, until midnight on 9 April. 📧