NDP leader calls for action as N.L. falls to lowest minimum wage in country

As of Saturday morning, Newfoundland and Labrador will have the lowest minimum wage in Canada, a statisticNDP leader Earle McCurdysays isunacceptable.

Legislation to raise the minimum wage comes into effect on Oct. 1 in four provinces: Ontario, Alberta, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan.AsSaskatchewan moves from $10.50 per hour to $10.72,thatincreaseleaves N.L. at the bottom of the pile nationally, stagnant at $10.50.

• Ontario minimum wage rising to $11.40 per hour

• Alberta to raise minimum wage by $1 in October

• P.E.I. minimum wage up to $11 on Saturday

"Quite frankly, that's not good enough," McCurdy told a group of reporters on Friday.

"I believe low-wage workers in this province are better than that, and I don't think they should accept that."

The province's minimum wage has seen a slight increasefrom $10 an hoursince 2010, with the last 25 cent increase taking place in September 2015. Meanwhile, food prices have risen by a much higher rate, McCurdy said.

While canvassing in his St. John's West district, the NDP leader says he met people struggling with "serious erosions in their real incomes" over the last few years.

Raising wage is the answer, McCurdy says

According to StatisticsCanada, 51.5 per cent of minimum wage earners are over 24 years of age, while 66.3 per cent were women.

The provincial government is supposed to review the wage every two years, but hasn'tbeen keeping up to its responsibility, McCurdy said.

"It's time for the government to do something. I call on them to immediately act to increase the minimum wage."

The NDP campaigned on a promise to make two 50cent increases in 2016, and makefurther increases over the next four years to reach a living wage.

McCurdy said he doesn't believe the increases would hurt local businesses, even in a slumping economy.

After all, it's hard to spend money when you don't have any.

"How are people going to spend money in the economy, when they haven't got any money in their pocket to spend?"