Saskatchewan’s minimum wage now lowest in Canada

Saskatchewan now has the lowest minimum wage in Canada, at
$9.50 per hour.

On
September 1, Alberta
increased its minimum wage to $9.75 per hour, up from $9.25.

This
has prompted opposition members to criticize Saskatchewan’s minimum wage as being too low.

“To have the worst minimum wage in the country
after years of prosperity in the province is a shameful embarrassment,”
said NDP labour critic David Forbes in a press release.  “It’s an awful fact that too many Saskatchewan people will go to work on Saturday and be
earning less per hour than they would anywhere else in Canada.” 

The province is mandated to review its minimum wage
every two years. The last time it was increased was in September, 2011. 

The SaskParty has said that it would be open to conducting
a review at an earlier time. 

“We’re
at a time in our province where there’s a labour shortage, so we want to make
sure our wages are competitive,” said Labour and Workplace Safety Minister Don
Morgan.

If
the minimum wage were to increase, local business would be affected.

“It’s
going to increase my payroll costs, so then I’m going to have to try and make
that up somewhere else,”  said Melanie
Guilford, owner of Regina restaurant TJ’s Pizza.  “Either by scheduling less people, maybe
working more myself or raising the prices.”

Guilford said she would support a minimum wage increase, and already pays her employees above minimum wage.