The B.C. government has announced the provinceB次元官网网址檚 minimum wage will go up to $15.20 an hour in 2021.
B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址淧eople making minimum wage need to be able to pay rent and put food on the table. People working full time should not be fighting poverty,B次元官网网址� Labour Minister Harry Bains told a news conference Thursday at a JJ Bean coffee shop in North Vancouver.B次元官网网址� When Toronto raised its minimum wage to $14 an hour earlier this year, the company B次元官网网址� which has a location in Toronto B次元官网网址� did the same for its Vancouver staff.
The provinceB次元官网网址檚 move comes as a result of work done by the fair wages commission, set up last summer to plot out how to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, as part of the NDPB次元官网网址檚 campaign promises.
The commissionB次元官网网址檚 report, released Thursday, recommended B次元官网网址渇rontloadingB次元官网网址� the wage hikes to take advantage of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 strong economy and low unemployment rate. It means the first increase will be the highest, with smaller raises each time until $15.20 is reached.
B.C.B次元官网网址檚 minimum wage is currently $11.35 an hour B次元官网网址� the third highest in Canada.
The next hike will come in June to at least $12.65 an hour. That makes for an increase of $1.30 this year, and $1.20, $0.75 and $0.60 in the next three years.
. says that minimum wage hike is just one of the ways NDP is "making life more affordable," foreshadows housing + childcare announcements in upcoming Throne Speech.
B次元官网网址� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
Asked about how small businesses will cope, Horgan pointed to other savings the NDP has introduced in recent months.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e moving to remove the PST on electricity for businessesB次元官网网址� for those who are paying medical services premiums for their employees B次元官网网址� that too has been cut in half,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲hat the commission heard is that they want predictability and a time frame to make decisions, shape their human resource planning [and] their operations planning.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses doesnB次元官网网址檛 agree.
Richard Truscott, the vice-president of B.C. and Alberta operations, said governmentB次元官网网址檚 role should be to provide training and job growth opportunities for people trying to get by with low-skilled, minimum wage jobs.
B次元官网网址淪mall businesses typically operate in competitive markets on very thin margins,B次元官网网址� Truscott said. B次元官网网址淭he $15 minimum wage may be great politics, but it is terrible economic policy.B次元官网网址�
. statement on minimum wage hike: B次元官网网址淲e support raising the minimum wage: ultimately, all British Columbians should have livable incomes. We know that our economy will be made even stronger when people can afford to live where they work."
B次元官网网址� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver about what he had called an B次元官网网址渁rbitraryB次元官网网址� goal of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021.
Now with the commissionB次元官网网址檚 report, Weaver he said the plan will help B次元官网网址渒eep politics out of minimum wage discussions.B次元官网网址�
Recommendations for a minimum wage for workers in hospitality, agriculture, resident care and live-in support will come in March. Another report on the discrepancy between the minimum wage and a B次元官网网址渓iveable wageB次元官网网址� is set for later this year.
A liveable wage is considered one that accounts for housing, food, clothing, transportation, recreation, savings and education. The living wage in Metro Vancouver is $20.62 per hour.
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