Therefore, behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her vineyard and make a valley of Anchor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. – Hosea 2: 14-15.
ON TUESDAY LAST WEEK, I had an experience that has left me surprised and shocked. After I had made a payment for an article, the cashier (who could be between 20 and 22 years old) said to me, “Are you not leaving a tip for the girls?”
It really hit me for six, because this is not the norm as far as I am aware. The only places where I’ve experienced such tipping are hotels and some restaurants, and even then the employees do not ask for tips.
I was forced to ask myself what type of salary are those girls being paid? It is probably very low, leaving them vulnerable.
After I left the business place, I heard the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Donville Inniss, on radio speaking in the House of Assembly as he was leading off the debate on the Minimum Wages Bill, during which he said a new nine-member board will be established to advise the minister on minimum wage policy.
The St James South Member of Parliament also told the House that “there are certain realities that we need to face in this country”.
“One reality is that some of the domestic workers and shop assistant are really and truly, as of 2017 are not getting the kind of wages that is necessary for them to be able to provide the basic necessities in life. That is reality.”
I am very glad that the minister introduced the bill and established a board, because the low wages that some employees are being paid leave much to be desired and could force some to do some very unethical things. I hope not.
The time is ripe to pay employees a decent wage so that they can increase their standard of living. There are so many persons out there who are very selfish and want everything for themselves and do not care about others and how they are living.
Hymn fest
A Festival of Hymns and Songs with commentary “To God be the Glory” will be given by the Whitepark Wesleyan Holiness Church on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Concert
The Moravian Disciples annual Concert entitled United We Stand will be held tomorrow at the Derek Smith Vocational Centre, Lears, St Michael, at 6 p.m.
Harvest festivals
Centenary Moravian Church’s annual Harvest Festival will take place on Sunday, at 3:30 p.m. at the church at Shop Hill, St Thomas.
Fulnec Moravian Church, Watts Village, St George, will hold its harvest on Sunday, February 5, at 3:30 p.m.
Meeting
There will be a meeting for Anglican Sunday school superintendents on Tuesday at Mandeville House at 5 p.m.
Revival
The All Saints Church Army will be holding a month-long revival every Tuesday night during the month of January. It will be held at the Training Centre opposite the Trimart supermarket.
Training session
The Barbados Diocesan Altar Servers Association Training Session will be held on Saturday, February 4, from 9 a.m. at St Leonard’s Anglican Church, Westbury Road, St Michael.
Rally
The annual Anglican diocesan service has been put back from February 12 to February 19. It will be held at Kensington Oval.
