Manitoba Minimum Wage Increased April 1

New Rate Is $7.60 an Hour.

Manitoba's minimum wage increased by 35 cents to $7.60 an hour effective April 1.

"The lack of increases during the 1990s severely eroded the purchasing power of the minimum wage," said Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan. "The minimum wage must reflect the realities of the economy today and must be at a level that will encourage people to enter the labour market. However, the increases must be carefully introduced to address the business community's concerns."

The minimum wage was $6 an hour on Dec. 31, 1999. The increases have been introduced in increments of 25 cents an hour every year up to 2005, bringing the rate to $7.25 an hour. The 35-cent increase scheduled for April 1 was announced in December and represents a total increase of 26 per cent since 1999. The next scheduled increase for the minimum wage is April 1, 2007, when the rate will rise by 40 cents to $8 an hour.

This increase will maintain Manitoba's position near the middle of rates among Canadian jurisdictions. Minimum wages across Canada as of March 1 were Nunavut, $8.50; Northwest Territories, $8.25; British Columbia, $8; Quebec, $7.60; Yukon, $7.20; Ontario, $7.75; Saskatchewan, $7.55; Prince Edward Island, $6.80; Nova Scotia, $6.80; New Brunswick, $6.50; Newfoundland and Labrador, $6.50; and Alberta, $5.90.

MFL President Darlene Dziewit commented on the increase in December when the April 1 increase was first announced.