PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Omar Ottley has submitted the request for approval of the indexation of the hourly minimum wage to the Council of Ministers.
This was announced in a press release on Monday.
Ottley has signed off the advice for the indexation of the minimum wage and is now seeking the approval from the Council of Ministers. If the advice is approved by the Council of Ministers, it will then be submitted to the Council of Advice to render their advice.
According to the release, the minister found it necessary to index the minimum hourly wage for the period 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. This decision was based on the fact that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased over those years without the minimum hourly wage being adapted accordingly. “This long-standing loss of purchasing power has affected particularly those workers earning the minimum wage, who have been struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living,” said Ottley.
Prior to taking this decision, the minister requested and received advice from the Social and Economic Council SER on the matter.
The public at large will be duly informed when the one-time increase will go into effect.
