Residents Say Proposed Increase is Minimum Wage Not Enough, but a Start

But is the proposed increase in minimum wage insignificant given the staggering inflation rate? Today, a News Five team headed to downtown Albert Street to get the pulse of the people on the ground. The reaction across the board was that the minimum wage should have been increased years ago, especially with the cost of living constantly rising. They say while it is a start, it is not enough.

Demoi’s Williams

Demoi’s Williams, Resident

“Actually it kinda shocking to see that dah still noh five dollars because I make way more than ten dollars an hour – cause I work hard for that – and I could barely manage and I am a one person household so I could just image person weh have kids, single mothers weh di juggle dah three change an hour with dehn pikney. Like how we expect these people to live? Pan top of that now, we’ve all seen what’s happening with the gas prices. Gas affects cost of living, everything depends on that. Five dollars noh even nowhere being enough; ten dollars is nowhere being enough. When other people hear that the minimum wage dah Belize is less than two dollars and fifty cents U.S. an hour; dehn di bawl over deh about sixteen dollars an hour. Can you imagine? So it’s like, how we expect our people fi live at this point? So I support five dollars, but I want we do more fuh wi people. We deserve more than just five dollars, come on.”

Bernard “Unlmtd” Cayetano

Bernard “Unlmtd” Cayetano, Resident

“The cost of living up long time so I believe that shoulda mi gone up long time too. If minimum wage dah America dah let’s go say what seventeen change and we dah two to one why we deh dah three change? You understand weh I di come from? And I believe that we as Belizeans need fi start to open wi eye to a lotta things weh di happen yah and noh just run behind wah hype.”

Danalia Staine

Danalia Staine, Resident

“We have the same minimum wage for almost over twenty years and it should go up because the cost of living is very expensive and sometimes some families they need that up because they have to provide for their families.”

Errol Gentle

Errol Gentle, Resident

“Very, very much so, it is needed. Now I don’t know if five dollars will suffice, but it is a first step. And I think that the minimum wage should be increased and gradually and hopefully in the future we can see it increase much more than five dollars. Fuel just went up to seventeen dollars and something so minimum wage being five dollars, it is nothing. But let’s look at this as a first step in the right direction.”