Farley Pledges $5,500 Minimum Wage
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has made a definitive promise to the island’s workforce, declaring that a new Tobago minimum living wage of $5,500 per month will be implemented upon his administration’s return to office. Speaking on a Tobago People’s Party (TPP) platform ahead of Monday’s crucial Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election, Augustine framed the policy as a necessary step to pull working-class families out of economic vulnerability.
Augustine recounted a poignant interaction with a female worker from the Litter Eradication Programme (LEP) in Canaan, who highlighted the tangible shifts in job security experienced under the current administration. He noted that these workers, who are responsible for cleaning the streets and communities often in the early hours of the morning, previously faced deep uncertainty regarding their employment tenure.
The Chief Secretary highlighted that his administration has already delivered salary increases, access to sick leave, and time off for these workers. He further announced that within months, these employees will mark a year of regularization, triggering their entitlement to paid vacation leave—a benefit he suggested was historically denied to workers in programmes like LEP, the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), and the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).
Augustine argued that the move to a $5,500 minimum wage is about more than just numbers; it is about dignity and access to financial systems. He explained that this threshold is designed to ensure that single mothers and low-income earners can qualify for bank loans to build homes and support their children’s education.
« We are out here changing lives for the better, » Augustine asserted. He maintained that no worker employed by the Tobago House of Assembly should earn less than this amount, positioning the wage hike as a non-negotiable pillar of the TPP’s vision for the next term commencing January 12, 2026.
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