Labor Ministry says minimum wage has been raised

The Labor Ministry on Thursday issued a press release, indicating that the general minimum wage was raised on January 1, 2017. The minimum wage has been raised from SRD 5,22 to SRD 6.14 per hour.

“Higher hourly minimum wages were determined for this year in the Minimum Wage Act. The hourly minimum wage for stores is now SRD 7.37 while the hourly minimum wage for security companies and for hotels and the catering industry has been set at SRD 8.60.” The ministry pointed out that an exception has been made for neighborhood stores which mainly sell food products and which have fewer than 4 employees. Small hotels which have fewer than 13 employees may also apply the general hourly minimum wage instead of the sectoral hourly minimum wage. The exception does not apply to security companies. Security companies must pay at least SRD 8.60 to their employees regardless of how many employees they have. The sectoral hourly minimum wage is always higher than the general hourly minimum wage. The ministry also made it clear that employers who already pay high salaries are not allowed to lower wages to minimum wage level. When employees earn less than the minimum wage, they must file a complaint against their employer at the Labor Inspection Department. The ministry explained that employees who file a complaint do not have to fear getting fired because the dismissal legislation offers sufficient protection.