Minimum Wage Increase Welcomed

Manitoba Federation of Labour President Darlene Dziewit welcomed the increases in the province's minimum wage which will be implemented over the next two years.

"Any increase in the minimum wage is good news for the 23 per cent of the workforce that earns at or near the minimum wage, for business and for the community," Dziewit said. "The thirty-five cent increase that goes into effect on April 1, 2006 and the forty cent increase scheduled for April 1, 2007 will bring the wage to $8.00 an hour, which is better than today's minimum wage.

"But the position of organized labour remains unchanged. We believe that the least minimum wage should be is 60 per cent of the average weekly wage. We also believe it should be adjusted annually to keep it at that level. This policy would result in a fairer minimum wage with predictable increases both in terms of how much and when."

The MFL will continue to provide this advice to government, as it has for decades, and urge that these steps be taken at the earliest opportunity in the future.

Near minimum wage is considered to be minimum wage plus ten percent.