Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is urging the government to raise the minimum wage to $25 per hour and eliminate Value Added Tax (VAT) on all food items. Currently set at $17.50 per hour, the minimum wage results in a monthly income of $2,800 for a 40-hour workweek, which is lower than the maximum old-age pension of $3,000.
Persad-Bissessar emphasized the urgent need to increase the minimum wage in the face of growing poverty and hardship in Trinidad and Tobago. She argued that the current rate cannot provide a decent quality of life for working individuals. Furthermore, she pointed out that job losses and stagnant salaries have left many citizens struggling to adequately support their families. The rising costs of essentials like housing, transportation, food, medication, fuel, and education have compounded the issue.
In 2014, the minimum wage was increased to $15 per hour, and in 2019, it was raised to the current rate of $17.50 per hour.
