Readers’ reactions

Helpless helpers: Many household workers still without basic benefits, unsure what is due to them

Raising the minimum wage is good; but it’s not the full story. Many domestic workers still have no contracts, no NIS, no security. Highlighting real struggles isn’t negative, it’s necessary. Progress must reach the people, not just the headlines. – @nstone2410

Is there a domestic workers’ association or union? If not, why not. – @OwenBar26940449

What rubbish is this? If they are not benefiting go and educate themselves, go back to school, look how much free programs a run. HEART have so many and yet they sit and expect the government must give them big money. Unuh move an guh better unuh self. – @JasonClark16036

But as employers, we must have a conscience! The work they do support gives us back time so we can focus on other things so the least we should do is be fair with the wages and if something happens, especially while working, we should absolutely pay the bill (doctor, etc.) – @ashikabii

It’s hard to pay a salary from a salary plus benefits, I see the minimum wages increasing but what about the persons who are paying those salaries? Sometimes, businesses owners and employees who are salaried just can’t afford to make the payroll. On one hand there is an increase but how do we make the balance here? – @aneshamthomas

Dear domestic workers, your employers are also employees themselves. Be considerate in your request for more because they are not being paid more. You have all right to want more but it simply means you will need to change your profession to get the more that you seek. – @the.mrs.plummer

It doesn’t matter if the wages get increased to $100,000. The real problem is cost of living goes up with it as well. So there is no difference. If you get $7000 and the costs of living is $8,000, when it reaches to $16,000, and the cost of living goes to $17,000, you’re basically in the same predicament. If pay raise and all other cost does not increase with it, then that is good. – Danielle Perrier

These are nearly slave labour wages. The cost of living is too high for people to make such little income. – Mandy Willenberg

Minimum wage is a guideline. There is no maximum wage guideline. Employers therefore who can afford household workers are paying way above that. People are not even available to do those jobs full-time any more. Workers are opting to work for $5000-$8000 per day. Construction labourers the same. – BeccaB

Readers’ reactions sourced from The Gleaner’s X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. Compiled by Khanique McDaniel