For Immediate Release
3 February, 2022
NL NDP Leader and MHA for St. John’s Centre Jim Dinn welcomed the announcement that minimum wage is increasing, however it is not clear if the increase will cover last year’s inflation and does not address that with the increase, minimum wage still remains a poverty wage.
“It is good news that wage increases are being legislated for workers who live in low wage jobs that are struggling to make ends meet,” said Dinn. “However, this increase falls short of any meaningful advance for these workers other than keeping them at the same level of poverty they’ve been experiencing.”
The NL NDP is hopeful that all participants of the 2022 Minimum Wage Review Committee will understand what workers in these jobs are subject to when their wage keeps them in poverty, and what that means for our communities. With the upcoming release of the Health Accord, the NL NDP is hopeful that the provincial government will see the wide reaching benefits achieved when workers have the means to live.
“What we want to see is a minimum wage level that takes into account the true costs of living, the cost of dignity in our society,” said Dinn. “For too long our economy has favoured profits and margins leaving workers to suffer. Many large profitable businesses have shown us that unless legislated, they will exploit our workers for profits. This has to stop, and this government can do it.”
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For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca