Nova Scotia announced plans to raise the minimum wage to $13.65 on April 1, however, the province’s NDP leader says that isn’t enough.
NDP Leader Gary Burrill says as the cost of living and inflation continue to rise in Nova Scotia wages need to follow suit. “With the ever-increasing costs of living more and more Nova Scotians who earn minimum wage are seeing the ability to support their families slip through their fingers,” Burrill said.
He says any conversations about minimum wage need to start at $15, then we can work towards a living wage. “We need to set a minimum wage floor at $15, so we can then work on developing a living wage which is around $19 to $21 depending on where you live in the province.”
During the last provincial election, Burill campaigned on a promise to implement a $15 minimum wage, but the NDP ended up losing ground in the election with the loss of one seat.
The NDP has also tried to implement minimum wage legislation on multiple occasions under the previous two Liberal governments but they failed to get the support needed to move forward. They have not yet tabled any such legislation under the new Houston government.
Currently, Nova Scotia does plan to impose a $15 minimum wage but that will come no earlier than 2024.
The wage is expected to continue rising until 2024, with the province currently reviewing a recommendation from the Minimum Wage Review Committee to increase it to $13.65 on October 1, 2022.
