The Tribune

THE goal set by Bernard Evans as he leaves his work as a union negotiator and moves into a government post is a challenging one.

Mr Evans is seeking to ensure the introduction of a liveable wage rather than just a minimum wage.

With Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis having pledged on the campaign trail to raise the minimum wage from $210 to $250 per week, Mr Evans has his sights set on a loftier target. He is aiming for a liveable wage of $600 a week in Nassau and $670 in Freeport.

He said that would essentially be a starting point too – and would change based on inflation.

Mr Evans said: “Let’s lean on what the highest learning institution in the country, University of The Bahamas, has said. They came up with around $600 a week as a liveable wage in Nassau and about $670 on Freeport, I believe. That is what they considered the liveable wage is in this country based on the inflation rate, based on what is required to pay for housing, utilities, food, clothing and all that stuff. That’s not my number, that’s something done by the University of The Bahamas in conjunction with the NGOs. My number would be that and I would go on that but I also know that we can’t get to that just at a snap of the finger, it has to be incremental. The minimum wage should be replaced by a liveable wage and that’s my agitation.”

The actual numbers in the 2020 study from the University of The Bahamas were $2,625 in New Providence and $3,550 in Grand Bahama per month.

So what does a liveable wage represent? Well, according to the authors it gives the ability to sustain a person’s “physical, emotional, social and cultural needs and that of their family beyond mere subsistence”. It’s not just food on the table, it’s food that meets needs for nutrition. It’s not just working to exist, it’s working to live a life beyond mere survival.

You can soon see where the money goes – just look at your own bills, starting with your rent and your electricity and the cost to get to work each day and see how soon you reach $2,625 a month.

Predictably, there is opposition to such a proposal. Peter Goudie, of the National Tripartite Council, said “there’s no way on God’s green earth” that $2,625 is Nassau’s monthly living wage.

He said that those behind the study “have to be out of their minds” and were “absolutely dreaming”, saying: “That is ridiculous. That is way ridiculous.”

You don’t have to look far to see the challenge there will be in introducing such a proposal.

Employers who are paying someone a minimum wage will take some convincing that they ought to be paying more than double that amount, perhaps even treble in Grand Bahama.

It won’t be easy for Mr Evans to find a compromise that works for everyone – and would a compromise even make sense if that’s what it takes to truly live?

Mr Evans talks of trying to introduce it slowly, bit by bit, but the basic principle will be the fight he faces to start with.

That said, as much as there may seem little prospect of victory, it is valuable to talk about those who are surviving on the poverty line, if only to put the focus on how we can help them better.

The debate may get somewhere, or it may not, but talking about those most in need can only help bring support where it can help most.

Will we see a liveable wage introduced before the next election? We’re not convinced we shall. Over to you, Mr Evans, to prove us wrong.