LABOUR and Immigration Minister Keith Bell.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
LABOUR Minister Keith Bell yesterday urged gas retailers to exercise restraint and “not to be swift to any sort of action” amid warnings about potential layoffs in the sector as costs rise.
Petroleum dealers have been calling for a 50 percent increase in their gasoline retail margin which, if granted, would have raised it by 27 cents per gallon from 54 cents to 81 cents.
However, despite a series of meetings with government officials, no change in the margins was granted and a spokesperson for the Bahamas Petroleum Dealers Association’s (BPDA) warned last month it may have to cut staff to survive if their cries are not heard.
“I’ve not heard from any of the petroleum dealers as yet,” Mr Bell said yesterday when asked if he has heard anything from the association about their plans.
“I have heard, and I’ve seen several things. However, I would wish to indicate to the petroleum dealers to exercise a degree of restraint and caution and not be swift to any sort of action.
“The reality is that we live in a country where nobody should be living below the poverty line. Nobody should be working and earning a salary which is below the poverty line. I am pleased that this government was able to introduce minimum wage and we would have indicated when we would have campaigned that it was our intention to increase minimum wage.”
He said changes to the national minimum wage were announced well in advance to allow employers the time to prepare themselves.
However, given the high cost of living, many business owners have said that difficult decisions may have to be made in the days ahead to sustain operations.
When asked if he was concerned about potential massive job cuts, he replied: “I’m satisfied that there won’t be any sweeping layoffs.”
He also advised employers to remain cautious before deciding on “any draconian action” with respect to labour.
“The National Tripartite Council and the Department of Labour would have engaged in extensive discussions, extensive discussions with all the key stakeholders in the country and they would have met with them. They would have consulted with them. We would have gotten their views,” Mr Bell continued.
“And even though, as I would have indicated when I did my communication in Parliament, that there wasn’t consensus on what the amount of the minimum wage should increase to, everybody knows that there was going to be an increase and we knew that even when we spoke that it would have taken effect this year so we’d have given everybody else an ample opportunity.
“But again, I want to issue a word to the employers - to be cautious before they take any draconian action in respect to layoffs and bear in mind that it is our view that nobody should be working for a salary less than the minimum just below the poverty line.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Phillip Davis told reporters that discussions with gas retailers were still continuing.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.