The Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce wants the provincial government to ensure future minimum wage increases remain predictable and fair to business and employees.
B.C.’s minimum wage is currently $11.35 an hour — the third highest in Canada —and last week, the province announced the province’s minimum wage will go up to $15.20 an hour in 2021. 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.
Related: B.C. to increase minimum wage
“This year’s increase is large, but the schedule of increases will allow businesses to make plans to adapt to the annual increases for the next few years,” said chamber president Neil Wyper in press release.
“We have a fair amount of tourism-based businesses and the bottom line is the need for certainty and predictability, with slow consistent increase so they can manage their own budgets.”
Wyper explains that it is important employees earn enough to live on and the chamber is hopeful the minimum wage settles on a reasonable balance between employee living expenses and business profitability.
The chamber calls on future governments to keep this balance in mind and ensure minimum wage increases are linked with the Consumer Price Index. This will ensure businesses can make plans with confidence, the chamber maintains, while protecting the purchasing power of employees’ wages.