Bakers Raise Concerns Despite Supporting The Minimum Wage

“Before you even bite a piece of that bread, half of it has already been paid for,” Minister for Commerce Emma Hippolyte told reporters last week with an obvious chuckle. Hippolyte was at the time responding to a reporter’s question on correspondence from the Saint Lucia Bakers Association on the impact the minimum wage and inputs was having. She also reiterated the heavily subsidized flour (and sugar) to bakers. In 2020 Government increased the flour subsidy for bakers from EC$12 to EC$17 as a direct response to the impact from Covid. Then on January 1, 2023, Government approved the increase in price of controlled bread, namely sliced pan and creole loaves. The last increase was in 2008. However, the recent implementation of the minimum wage has resulted in an increase in operations bakers say. “Very early the bakers were worried that all their members might not be able to meet the minimum wage,” Hippolyte told reporters last week. “As you know when you look at  bakeries around the island you have large, medium and small… and so the very small bakers, how can we assist them so that they can navigate the  minimum wage,” she added. St. Lucia Times has...