The provincial government’s minimum wage consultation meeting held in London earlier this week has been met with heavy criticism by a group that represents businesses in the city.
The London Chamber of Commerce has expressed their disappointment with the meeting following their exclusion from it.
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“After several unsuccessful attempts to gain a seat on the agenda of the July 17 hearings at the Delta Hotel, we were left hanging as to our status for the consultations,” said London Chamber of Commerce CEO Gerry Macartney.
“This was a completely flawed process from the beginning. The London Chamber has attended dozens of provincial government hearings in recent years, but this process is one of the worst I have seen.”
The consultation process was also criticized before the meeting took place. Critics said it was odd to consult on something the government has already said it will do.
The chamber will still share their concerns through a written submission by Friday.
Earlier this year the Liberals announced plans to raise the minimum wage to $14 an hour by 2018, and $15 an hour after that.
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While the London Chamber was excluded from the meeting, business owners, labour leaders and minimum wage activists did attend.
The London Chamber of Commerce currently represents over 1,000 businesses in the Forest City.