Two female German students from the University of Applied Studies of the Federal Employment Agency in Schwerin, Germany and a Vincentian Student from the University of the West Indies are currently doing their internship programmes with the Labour Department.

Cabinet has, on the 11 February, 2015 appointed Wages Councils to undertake a review of the minimum wages regulations.  The Councils were launched at an official ceremony on Thursday 31 March, 2016 at the Peace Memorial Hall in Kingstown.

Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Labour, Hon. Camillo Gonsalves noted that some employers, for example, some employers of agricultural workers are already paying wages that are above the current minimum. “Whether this wages council will fix the minimum wages more reflective of the going market rate, or whether they would establish a new floor that employers would have to go beyond, is a matter that I am sure you would discuss robustly,” Gonsalves said.

He noted further that, “at the most basic level, minimum wage increase has the potential to stimulate the economy and increase demand by putting money into the pockets of low-income consumers who immediately spend it at local businesses.”

St. Vincent and the Grenadines would host the 10th in a series of national bipartite workshops organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in conjunction with the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation and the Caribbean Congress of Labour. The workshop, which would be held at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown, will convene at 9:00am on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

The opening ceremony is expected to hear remarks from Ms. Helena Thomas – President, St. Vincent Employers’ Federation and Mr. Joseph Bonadie – General Secretary, Commercial Technical and Allied Workers Union. The keynote address would be presented by the Hon. Maxwell Charles – Minister of National Security, the Public Service, Labour, Information, and Ecclesiastical Affairs.