The minimum wage will be going up to $15.20 an hour by 2021, the B.C. government announced this week.
A report from the fair wages commission recommended “front loading” the wage hikes to take advantage of the current strong economy and low unemployment rate. That means the first increase will be the largest, with smaller raises continuing until $15.20 is reached. Currently the minimum wage is $11.35 per hour.
The next rise will be in June to at least $12.65 an hour.
The Kimberley Chamber of Commerce doesn’t agree with the plan and Manager Mike Guarnery has issued a press release stating so.
“The Kimberley & District Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns in August 2017 with the current Provincial government’s plan to roll out the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2021. In working with other regional Chambers and the BC Chamber of Commerce, a suggested a timeframe of 2023 be used to meet this initiative, and support small businesses in rural communities; allowing them to plan accordingly for this increase.
“Today’s announcement of increasing the minimum wage from $11.35 to $12.65 / hour on June 1st with the overall goal of reaching $15.20/hour by 2021 suggests this government did not clearly understand the issues of small and medium size businesses in Kimberley, et al. The economies of scale need to be represented equally – and it appears rural business owners’ voices were not represented in this decision. Our membership is comprised of businesses that pay fair wages, and some will be affected more than others. We will continue to support and work with our members to identify solutions that will help affected businesses keep their margins viable, maintain the same level of staff, and ensure their hours of operation are unaffected.”
