As inflation has been pushing up the cost of practically everything over the past few months, Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Brewster is questioning whether Nunavut is offering enough with its $16 minimum wage.
She raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly on March 21, pointing out that the last review of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 minimum wage occurred in 2019, resulting in an increase to $16 from $13 in 2020.
She also cited recent data from Statistics Canada that showed prices consumers pay rose 5.7 per cent overall in February compared to a year earlier, and that followed a 5.1 per cent cost of living hike in January, which is SA国际影视传媒減inching the pocketbooks of Canadians.SA国际影视传媒� She said sheSA国际影视传媒檚 concerned about food and other basic staples being unaffordable for lower-income Nunavummiut.
Brewster asked Justice Minister David Akeeagok, whose department is responsible for the Labour Standards Act, when the next review of NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 minimum wage will take place.
Akeeagok acknowledged that inflation is one factor that can trigger an assessment of minimum wage.
SA国际影视传媒淔or sure, it is a shared concern that prices are going really high, really fast,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a shared concern throughout our cabinet on how to help Nunavummiut and help especially those that are on minimum wage. Those are the very things that we go through when weSA国际影视传媒檙e reviewing this, and I applaud the member for raising this in this House.SA国际影视传媒�
Brewster then shared some calculations: at $16 per hour over a 40 hour work week for 52 weeks per year, that equates to a gross income of $33,280, she noted.
SA国际影视传媒淔rom the ministerSA国际影视传媒檚 perspective, can he indicate if NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 minimum wage is actually a living wage?SA国际影视传媒� she asked.
Akeeagok replied that Nunavut has the highest minimum wage in Canada.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 something that we try to do. Through our labour standards, we encourage companies to do more than a minimum wage, and a lot of companies do go beyond that because our staffing is so scarce,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hrough that, a lot of those do get taken into factor, and ISA国际影视传媒檓 just being informed that our review will be done this summer as part of our regular review within the minimum wage.SA国际影视传媒�
