REFORM Jersey has announced plans to bring counter proposals to the States next year to reverse the decision not to raise the minimum wage to the living wage.
The government this week released a report which concluded it was “not feasible or desirable” to introduce a statutory living wage rate in Jersey, and that “a statutory link to a specific formula or target could be counter-productive”.
Following criticism from Caritas Jersey, who were not consulted on the report despite being the organisation which grants living-wage accreditation, Reform Jersey have now released a statement expressing their “extreme disappointment”.
The statement added that the party, which has ten Members in the States Assembly, has “vowed to take action to allow the States to reverse this decision”.
Its leader, Deputy Sam Mézec, said: “The report published by the government this week is a shameful disregard of States Assembly decisions that have previously been made to adopt the living wage in Jersey.
“The report offers no economic assessment justifying their abandonment of this target, nor does it refer at all to the plight of the lowest paid workers in Jersey who are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis.
Instead, they have cited the failures of other governments to deal with the living wage as an excuse for why Jersey should continue as we are.”
He added that the party remained committed to raising the minimum wage to the living wage and had been since its founding.
“We will be discussing options to bring forward counter proposals in the new year to get the journey towards the living wage back on track,” he continued.
The States Assembly agreed in 2021 to set an “objective” to raise the minimum wage to two-thirds of the median earnings by the end of 2024, subject to “economic conditions”.
Firms can currently sign up voluntarily to become living-wage employers through a membership scheme run by Caritas Jersey.
Currently about 50 firms and organisations, including the government, pay the living wage, which will rise from £12.19 per hour to £13.41 next year. The minimum wage, meanwhile, will increase from £10.50 per hour to £11.64
A living wage is said to enable a person to maintain a normal standard of living within their environment.
