NDP commits to raising minimum wage in B.C. to $15 per hour by 2021
VICTORIA — The B.C. government says it’s planning to increase the provincial minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021.
Labour Minister Harry Bains said Tuesday a fair wages commission will be established in the coming weeks to plan how to raise the rate without hurting businesses.
“I think what we are doing is going with a responsible, fair approach so that the businesses know that it’s predictable, it’s incremental increases going forward so they can look at their structure, their costs ahead of time and knowing fully well what their costs will be,” he said.
A 50-cent increase announced by the previous Liberal government will go ahead as planned on Sept. 15, bringing the wage to $11.35 per hour, Bains said.