Premier announces increase to minimum wage
By Nelson Daily Staff
After years of debate and hesitation, the province’s minimum wage is finally going up.
Premier Christy Clark announced late Wednesday British Columbia’s minimum wage will increase in three stages to $10.25 by May 1, 2012, and the training wage will be eliminated.
“This increase could mean more than $4,000 additional dollars annually for a full-time employee,” said Clark.
In order to give businesses the opportunity to adjust to the increases, the general minimum wage will increase on May 1, 2011 to $8.75 and be $10.25 per hour by May 2012.
As of May 1, 2011 the training wage is also repealed and all hourly-paid employees will be entitled to the general minimum wage regardless of how long they have been in the paid labour force.
A special minimum wage for liquor servers will also be phased in, beginning May 1, 2011. It will be modeled on what now exists in Ontario for employees who serve liquor directly to customers or guests in licensed premises as a regular part of their work.
In that province, the alcohol server rate has allowed the general minimum wage to increase while maintaining and supporting jobs in the food and beverage service sector, said Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government.
