The annual inflation rate in B.C. for the year 2022 was seven per cent.
In May 2023, the inflation rate was at 3.4 per cent. Why did the B.C. NDP government raise the B.C. minimum wage effective June 1, 2023 at the 2022 inflation rate of seven per cent, increasing the minimum wage by $1.10 per hour?
The B.C. NDP government did the exact opposite with only giving out a three per cent wage increase to government sector workers. The reason for this is that in reality the government could not afford to give out wage increases at the 2022 inflation rate of seven per cent.
Giving out a seven per cent inflation rate has to be paid for by the small B.C. business person. Very unfair to the small business person.
Why? All local fast food outlets such as McDonald’s, A&W, Dairy Queen, etc. are all franchises, and must pay a percentage of their revenue each month to the corporate owners. Franchises cannot raise their menu prices.
Menu prices are set by the corporate owners. Why should the B.C. NDP government dictate the small business owner? Each month, the small business owner has a bottom line profit and out of this bottom line profit, the increase in minimum wage has to be paid. Outrageous.
Now the small business owner must do no more hiring unless someone quits, reduce working hours to all employees and send some employees to claim unemployment insurance.
The B.C. NDP government fails to realize the true reality of this wage increase. It hurts the small business owner financially and does nothing to benefit employees.
Unbelievable!
Joe Sawchuk,
Duncan