The announcement of Saskatchewan’s minimum wage increasing to 13 dollars an hour this year, and eventually to 15 dollars by 2024, was not received well by two organizations.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is disappointed with the way the Saskatchewan government handled the decision to increase the minimum wage.
In a statement, the CFIB claimed the government neglected to consult with the small business community and failed to announce any mitigating measures to help small businesses absorb the cost.
However, earlier in the week, Premier Scott Moe said the government consulted with business groups prior to the decision.
The organization also said if the province had asked, the CFIB would have told them that many small businesses are not in a position to take on aditional wage costs right now.
The CFIB’s latest survey data shows less than half – 42 percent – of Saskatchewan small businesses report being back to normal, pre-pandemic sales levels.
Meanwhile, CUPE Saskatchewan is calling on the provincial government to raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour now, rather than in two years.
In a statement, President Judy Henley says minimum wage earners need relief now, because at the current wage of $11.81, many can’t afford the basic costs of living and are relying more on food banks to feed their families.
Henley also says many full-time workers were on the front lines throughout the pandemic, and have served communities despite many challenges, adding now they are the ones feeling the impact of inflation most acutely.