“Not Enough”: Watson Duke Criticizes Minimum Wage Increase for Public Servants in 2025 National Budget
Duke criticizes 2025 budget minimum wage increase as insufficient for the common man.
October 1, 2024 – During the 2025 national budget presentation on Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert revealed that the minimum wage for public service employees would increase from $20.50 to $22.50 per hour.
However, Watson Duke, political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, argued that this increase does little to improve the financial struggles of citizens. He calculated that, at this new rate, a worker’s monthly income would amount to approximately $4,000, a figure Duke described as insufficient to meet basic needs. His comments highlight the ongoing debate about the adequacy of the minimum wage in Trinidad and Tobago and its impact on the cost of living for public service employees.
