Wage rising 50 cents on Oct. 1
Manitoba is raising its minimum wage by 50 cents to $10 an hour on Oct. 1, 2011.
The minimum wage in the province is currently $9.50 an hour. The last increase in the province was Oct. 1, 2010, when the wage increased 50 cents from $9 an hour.
“Manitoba has one of the strongest labour markets in the country and the second-lowest unemployment rate,” said Jennifer Howard, labour and immigration minister. “At the same time, revenues continue to rise in most industries, including restaurant and retail, where many employees earn a minimum wage.”
The Labour Management Review Committee (LMRC), composed of equal representatives from labour and business organizations, recommended three annual increases ending in 2012. The groups differed on the amount with employer representatives recommending annual increases of 30 cents and labour representatives recommending an increase of 75 cents.
On the recommendation of employer representatives, the government agreed to implement the increase in October to give seasonal industries time to plan.
Manitoba is one of seven provinces and territories that will have minimum wages of $10 or more per hour by May 2012.
