Government Meets Minimum Wage Commitment

The Provincial Government announced today that it is meeting its commitment to achieve a minimum wage of $10 per hour by 2010.

�This government is committed to developing a plan to achieve the increases to minimum wage in a predictable and incremental manner,� said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. �Today, I am pleased to announce that following an extensive series of province-wide public consultations, our government is meeting a Blue Print 2007 commitment to move forward and achieve a minimum wage of $10 by 2010.�

Over the next two years, the Provincial Government will increase the minimum wage for provincially-regulated workplaces in regular planned intervals through a schedule of four 50-cent increments. On January 1, 2009, the minimum wage will rise by 50 cents to $8.50 per hour, to $9 per hour on July 1, 2009, to $9.50 per hour on January 1, 2010, and will reach $10 per hour on July 1, 2010.

In January, the Provincial Government led a series of consultations across the province allowing stakeholders and the public an opportunity to provide meaningful input into the planning of future increases to the minimum wage. The implementation plan reflects a balanced approach that achieves the Provincial Government�s commitment while recognizing the need for employers to have time to prepare.

�Our government is strongly committed to working in partnership with business and labour in meeting the needs of people and growing the province,� said Minister Skinner. �The increase in the minimum wage is one part of an overall balanced approach of improving earned income levels for low wage workers while supporting tax measures that improve the competitiveness of business.�

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Media contact:
Ronalda Walsh
Director of Communications
Human Resources, Labour and Employment
729-0753, 699-7903
ronaldawalsh@gov.nl.ca

2008 06 30                               12:40 p.m.