Church leader calls for review of minimum wage

Davis Letang, File photo

Church leader, Davis Letang is of the view that reviewing the minimum wage in Dominica is something that needs to be considered.

Letang, a Lay Associate in Pastoral Care in the Catholic church, made that statement while addressing a national consultation for church leaders and key stakeholders held recently.

“As church leaders we also need to be concerned, not just that we are working, but also that we are being fairly remunerated for our labour. The need for a fair wage is also a major concern,” he said. “In Dominica there has been a lot of talk about reviewing the minimum wage and I still think that it is something that we need to consider if we seriously want to look at how we want to improve family.”

According to Letang, family employment continues to be one of the major pre-occupations of the church and it is through employment that families are able to provide for their needs.

 He believes that every young person called to family life has a natural yearning to responsibly raise a family of his or her own with his or her own partner .

“This responsibility comes with the desire and the ability to work in order to provide for both the economic and social needs of his family,” he stated.

Hence, Letang, a retired permanent secretary, believes that the society and country must ensure that each young person has avenues to find gainful work in order that their family can fulfill that responsibility.

“So, therefore as a nation, as church, we need to be concerned about what levels of employment in our country. Are we happy with current levels of unemployment in our country? How is that impacting on our family?” he asked.

Letang explained that in a recent discussion with a trade unionist he was told when people talk about the family being the main priority, “yes the family is your main priority but without work, you cannot sustain that family.”

“The other thing we need to consider as we talk employment is that we are now in a situation where we have what I refer to as a growing number of dual carrier families, where both husband and wife are out there working,” he noted. “[This] partly is because we have to try to make ends meet.”

He added, “We are living in a very materialistic society now, and how is that impacting on the family?”

Letang said it means therefore that we have less time to provide care and attention for our children, a responsibility  which God has entrusted us with.

 “Our children are gifts of God, entrusted to us for a particular purpose so, we therefore, need to ensure that we take good care of them,” he declared.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

26 Comments

  1. Mike
    April 23, 2019

    Minimum wage laws are illegal and a waste of time, Denmark have no minimum wage laws and Germany up to 2yes ago had no minimum wage laws, government have no business getting involved in a private transaction between a buyer and seller of labour.

    • Dominican
      July 15, 2019

      Ok then, enjoy $1 an hour

  2. Karl Orndem
    April 23, 2019

    only now you people see if fit to raise the minimum wage? this should have been done 10 years ago. How can people survive on 700 a month today? 10 years ago it was already very hard. much less for now. Ive heard the PM respond to this issue by saying it is not something that can just simply be done. He said many stakeholders need to be consulted. Im supposing Social Security, Inland Revenue, who again? maybe the DPSU and other unions. But simply not doing anything about it says enough to me. You are not willing to raise it. Not yet at least. I realize they like to hold these social and economical advances in their back pockets like cards. they pull them out at the last minute to keep the people dazzled, but the game is changing. Those tricks may not work for much longer. the cost of living has sky rocketed especially after Maria. We cannot continue to go on like this. People are only in town to pay bills and do groceries. there is no real life in the country anymore.

  3. April 23, 2019

    04/23/2019
    I Proclaim on the roof top that the “King is coming”! I announce to the ends of the earth, that the “King is coming”. And that the days of Noah are here. “Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make straight his paths.” Tell all the world that I am coming back soon. “I am coming for those who have laid their burdens down”. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
    The Father says: My children refuse to be distracted for my prayers avail much more than you know. Lives are changed, destructions are stopped, and evil is sent back when you pray. Do not allow the enemy to rebel against you in the times of prayer but pray more and more that I may show mercy in the earth. I am the bread of life, but many people do not even know me. I can feed my own out of thin air just as I fed them with manna long ago. There was no food in the desert and there were many mouths to feed but I fed them easily even through years of famine in areas all around them. I shall do that again for those who know me well…

    • Karl Orndem
      April 23, 2019

      jesus freak if you ask me. keep it simple brother. God loves everyone. We talking about minimum wage.

  4. Greig
    April 23, 2019

    Can you increase minimum wage in a country that exports nothing?? Only CBI and giving of apartments to young people for freeeeeee? ?????? This is madness!!! I warning all you ..get rid of skerite and the dlp…

  5. mine
    April 22, 2019

    I might be wrong but what minimum has to do with this church leader. Am wondering if he was an employer he would talk on this topic. it is fair that people get decent pay. They raise minimum wage in NY and lots of businesses closed.

    • Karl Orndem
      April 23, 2019

      obviously, the bible says that good christians should tithe 10% of their income. when you and me only making minimum wage which is EC$700-720 monthly, 10% of that is only EC$70-72. Now imagine if minimum wage was increased by EC$1 to make it now EC$5.50.

      EC$5.50 x 40 (hrs/week) = EC$220 weekly.
      EC$220 x 4 (weeks in a month) = EC$ 880 monthly.

      Those who observe this 10% tithe rule will now be able to put more money in the coffers. Maybe that is the reasoning behind their cry.

    • Amarossa
      April 23, 2019

      I will have you know Mr. Davis Letang is the perfect person to speak about it. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology. He was also a Permanent Secretary in many ministries including the Ministry of Housing. He was not just a ‘paper pusher’. He would visit communities where government was doing housing projects (including the Kalinago Territory). So he knows ALL about poverty and its ripple effects.

  6. April 22, 2019

    These people are opportunistic, while he was a PS what was he saying? my advice to Mr. Letang is go and lecture for them Priests and them and to his own self. Do not try to have people believe that you care for them. I will end here because I don’t want to be too personal.

  7. April 22, 2019

    Raising the minimum wage exacerbates unemployment, which is already a very serious problem in Dominica. I get it that it’s hard to make ends meet, and working people want to take more home, but the way to do that is skills development so that one’s work is more valuable, not to pretend that government can force employers to create money out of nothing.

    (And I know no one wants to hear this, but someone has to say it, so go ahead downvoters and do your worst.)

    • Karl Orndem
      April 23, 2019

      Not just that. We need to start doing things better and creating an environment that demands more income. Refine dominica and dominicans as a product instead of the 2×4 rumshop mentality. do things with class and integrity, so we can demand more money for our products. I have always said that we have never marketed dominica as a high end destination. We have always cheapened the country in an attempt to be more attractive. But a Mercedes Benz is much more expensive than a Honda Civic, and while many can afford the Honda, deep down, everyone wants a Mercedes. why because thats where the luxury and everything else (symbol of status and luxury) that comes with it. Our Marketing officers here marketing us know nothing about marketing it seems.

    • Joseph John
      April 23, 2019

      Steve ,it is good to have a look at the other side of the coin, but we are looking at this issue from the wrong direction.
      The issue should be economic development to reach full employment for ensuring living wages to meet our needs.
      The first step should be import substitution and export, and the improvement of the private sector.

  8. Dash
    April 22, 2019

    Time for the a $50.00 a day thing to end. You dont see the youths aint even want to work for ppl again for $50.00 because it cant even purchase breakfast n lunch, so they turn to other avenues

  9. April 22, 2019

    Mr. Davis Letang Sir, if you feel that it is your business to speak about wage control in Dominica, isn’t the same way you and the Church, should be conducting a social program that could help those who are desperately in need?

    After all the Roman Catholic Church is the richest Church in the Wolrd, look how easy it was to raise millions of dollars in less than two days after the fire of Notre Dam. It should be easy for them to conduct that kind of social need wouldn’t?

    And I don’t mean taking off the weight of the Government’s responsibility either.

    But you and your colleagues are not part of Government functions, so it is easy for you to stand aside and talk or make demands–what a sad World that we live in?

    • Amarossa
      April 23, 2019

      You yourself should realise how foolish you sounding. The money that was raised for the rebuilding of Notre Dame came from the pockets of multi-billionaires. What does notre dame have to do with our Dominica? As I said Mr. Letang is a qualified sociologist who is trained to observe society. So because he is a spiritual man, does that mean he cannot comment on the ills of society?
      You people like to mix matters too much.

  10. My Eyes Red
    April 22, 2019

    The labor law requires a complete overhaul if Dominica is going to make any progress. First, workers should be paid by the hr and anything after their 8 hrs should be time and a half. We would get more production and workers would make more money 2. Daily paid workers should be paid weekly while salary workers be paid bye weekly. 3. Minimum hourly rate should be at least $7 dollars for unskilled labor, while skilled labor $12 per hr. 4. Cut down on holidays. Today should not be a holiday since we closed the country down since Thursday. We need to get serious if we want to see real change. I am so red that even my eyes are Red but Dominica comes first people

    • Amarossa
      April 23, 2019

      Nonsense about cutting down on holidays.
      Even donkeys need to rest.

  11. April 22, 2019

    One aspect of this article that stood out for me is the part about materialism. There was a time when there was only one phone in the home, and yes, as time advances, things should change for the better, but when some people feel that each of their children should have an IPhone or expensive Galaxy phone, then that demonstrates a poor example of priorities by some parents. And children have to do more to help the household, and not just sit most of the time consuming digital food. Youths should be encouraged to plant a garden, and have a few live-stocks that can offset some of the household expenses. Also, people need to learn to manage their resources better. Not everything advertised we should have. We have to guard against becoming slaves to all these electronics and appliances. Part of the problem also is the lack of teaching financial literacy in schools. People who have not learned to manage their pennies, will not know how to manage dollars.

  12. Bwa-Banday
    April 22, 2019

    The Catholic Church has disappointed its congregation on societal matters pertinent to the family well being. When the churches stay quiet on such an important matter but expect you to pay tithes or drop big bills in the collection plates then they are literally taking from the mouths of our children.

    Mr. Letang you are very late but we will take it anyway because as the saying goes its better late than never. Now make certain you educate Fr. Real-Mas-In-The-Cemetery from Vielle Casse area and maybe you even convince the bishop to fire that so called hypocrite priest.

  13. %
    April 22, 2019

    Mr Letang I am sure that you won’t be surprised that you will be under the microscope for echoing the truth? Be prepared for the likes of
    Anon
    ?????????,etc
    right here on DNO.
    Listen to the 3 stooges on Wednesday night on the other station. Listen to the joiner and the dead broke auditor too on the other station! You must listen well .They will try to suspend you in the air,but I shall cut the rope, to give you more momentun and more leverage.. That spirit of fear amongst us must stop. This regime has been nailing Dominicans to the cross for too long!!!
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    Lazy Skerrit Must Go Now

  14. %
    April 22, 2019

    Fully agree with you Mr Letang…The question is though, what are these heartless, ruthless and inconscionable wickeds in the DLP doing? Have they ever cared the poor and indigent of the country??
    The very same ones they fool every election cycle, they seem to be rejoicing to see them languish in poverty!
    What an evil regime!!!!!!
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now

  15. Free Thinker
    April 22, 2019

    This needed to be said and done a long time ago. The Catholic church has remained silent for far too long.

    • RandyX
      April 23, 2019

      But for that they got a present towards a new roof! Everything in DA is corrupt. As long as one sings the dictators tune everything is fine and even a few presents make its way towards you. But if you don’t sing his tune the private army will soon start to harass you.

  16. kermit
    April 22, 2019

    No problem in that but as an employer my brother Dominicans are being payed for what they work for well for me at least. First of all they don’t want to work on a saturdays telling me about overtime, their lunch hour is an hour they taking an hour and a half. work ending at 4 they getting up to leave at three. Haitians honestly display better working ethics than Dominicans and yes I do pay well and do pay Haitians the same amount as the Dominicans.

  17. John Jay
    April 22, 2019

    What I can’t understand with some of this people when they are in government and an impact can be made they are saying nothing. But as soon as they leave office they leave want ro make noise or say this and say that shame on you all. While office talk.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available