Minimum Wage: Have Companies And Businesses Ignored 2014 Increase of K1.00 For Low Income Earners?

 Minimum Wage was raised from K2.20 to K3.20 in 2014. The increase was recommended by Employers Federation and Salary Commission and endorsed by a Parliamentary Working Committee on wages and salaries. Every employer must comply with the parliamentary directive as of 2014.  

There is also little known about employees’ benefits and how those benefits tie in with minimum wages. Unless employees are made aware of this by their employers, there is no reason why employees would get less than recommended minimum wage or salary.

If you are an adult, working fulltime (or Part-time) and know that you are among the minimum wage earners you should make sure that your hourly pay is NOT less than K3.20. Here is a table to help you.

In 2014 the Employers Federation and Salary Commission (EF&SC) conducted a 7-month investigation into wages and salaries of middle (to low) income earners in Papua New Guinea. They made several recommendations. One of the recommendations was to increase the minimum wage from K2.20 to K3.20

The EF&SC (who made the recommendation) or Employers Federation of Papua New Guinea (EFoPNG – who are supposed to inspect and ensure minimum wage is paid to workers) came out trumpeting that the increase must be complied with ‘immediately’ at the time of the announcement. 

Question of ‘compliance’ must be answered clearly. This can be done by government organisations responsible for ensuring workers are paid what they deserved. Right now there is a need to determine if companies have complied with government’s directive. But, who is going to do it?

If the Workers’ Union president is looking for something better to do, here is one thing he can do: call on EFoPNG to do its job. The employers’ federation has 22 inspectors stationed in every province. Have they done what they are supposed to do yet? 

What is the Department of Internal Revenue and Taxation done to make sure the K1.00 increase is paid to the low income earners? Their audit has to show how many minimum wage earners are employed by each company and how much they are paying them. 

Statutory organisations, who are supposed to put the interest of low income earners first, have got to do their jobs and continue to do it right. Companies and businesses who have not complied with the Minimum Wage increase must be reminded to remain true to their workers – pay them accordingly.  

Organisations like the Workers Union, Employers Federation of Papua New Guinea, Employers Federation and Salary Commission, Internal Revenue Commission and Department of Internal Revenue and Taxation MUST do what is right. 

It would be criminal – it is criminal, on both the government organisations and companies, if they failed to enforce the new minimum wage or failed to comply with it. Responsible authorities must follow up and ensure the minimum wage (K3.20) set in 2014 is paid to every eligible earner in the country. 

10 COMPANIES/BUSINESSES WITH MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES EARNING MINIMUM WAGE: 

1. SECURITY FIRMS

2. LOGGING AND FISHING COMPANIES

3. CHINESE KAI BARS AND RESTAURANTS 

4. RETAIL OUTLETS AND WHOLESALE 

5. CONSTRUCTION AND SUB-CONTRACTORS 

6. PLANTATIONS 

7. NIGHT CLUBS 

8. FARMS

9. FACTORIES 

10. HOTELS

1,000 New Species Found Melanesian island of New Guinea - WFF

A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a round-headed dolphin are among more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, environment group WWF said.

Scientists made the astounding discoveries, which also included a river shark and dozens of butterflies, on New Guinea at a rate of two a week from 1998 to 2008, WWF said in a new report on the island's natural habitat.

"This report shows that New Guinea's forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world," said WWF's Western Melanesia programme representative, Neil Stronach.

New Guinea -- divided between the Indonesian province of Papua in the west and Papua New Guinea to the east -- has one of the world's least spoilt and most stunning ecosystems.

Its rainforests are the third biggest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo, and, while the island covers just 0.5 per cent of the Earth's landmass, it contains up to eight percent of the world's species, according to WWF.

What was previously known about New Guinea's biodiversity was already breathtaking, such as the world's biggest butterfly -- with a 30-centimetre (12-inch) wingspan -- and giant rats that can grow up to a metre long.

Scientists believe that one square kilometre (247 acres) of the island's lowland rainforest may contain as many as 150 bird species, according to WWF.

The 1,060 species confirmed by scientists as new discoveries between 1998 and 2008 are believed to have only scratched the surface of New Guinea's dazzling ecosystems.

"Such is the extent of New Guinea's biodiversity that new discoveries are commonplace even today," WWF said in its report, titled "Final Frontier: Newly Discovered Species of New Guinea".

One of the most notable finds documented in the WWF report was a round-headed and snub-finned dolphin, which swims in protected, shallow coastal waters near rivers and creek mouths.

Discovered in 2005 in Papua New Guinea, it was the first new dolphin species recorded anywhere in the world in three decades, and is now known to also exist in Australia, WWF said.

Another of the 12 mammals found over the decade was an anteater named in honour of British naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Sir David's Long-beaked Echinda or, scientifically, Zaglossus attenboroughi.

One of the 134 frogs discovered was dubbed Litoria sauroni because its striking red and black spotted eyes reminded scientists of the evil character Sauron in the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Another new frog was notable because of its tiny size -- just one centimetre in length, while one had vampire-like fangs.

Nine snail species, some so colourful as to be almost unrecognisable from the backyard-garden-type variety, were among the 580 new invertebrates discovered.

One of the snails was bright yellow, while another was green and yellow.

Among the other new invertebrates was a brightly coloured apricot crayfish, part of the family of creatures called "yabbies" in Australia and some other parts of the world, which was nine to 12 centimetres long

New fish totalled 71, with a kaleidoscope of colours, including one in the coral reefs of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea that thrilled scientists with its dazzling blue hue.

WWF said the most extraordinary freshwater discovery was a 2.5-metre-long river shark found in Papua New Guinea that has since also been located in northern Australia.

Of the 43 reptiles discovered, one could claim to be the most innocuous snake in the world -- it was just 12-14 centimetres long, had scales over its eyes so that it could not see, could not bite and had no venom.

But WWF said the excitement of all the new discoveries had been tempered by the fact that, like in the Amazon and Borneo rainforests, human actions were destroying New Guinea's natural habitat at an "alarming rate".

Some of the growing threats it listed were illegal and unsustainable logging, forest conversion for palm oil plantations, mining, road construction and unsustainable fishing.

"These environmental threats are exacerbated by global climate change which is increasing the number of fires within forests and savannas, erosion, and seawater incursion into coastal habitats," WWF said.

Source: AFP 2011