Deputy Geoff Southern, who has lodged a proposition for States debate, also suggests another rise in October next year to £10 per hour, and another by the end of 2022 to create a ‘living wage’ as advised by anti-poverty charity Caritas.
Earlier this month, Social Security Minister Judy Martin successfully persuaded Members to agree to raise the level from £8.32 to £9.22 from January. But Deputy Southern, who represents Reform Jersey, is arguing for a larger increase, setting the minimum wage at 60% of median earnings.
The median wage is £630 per week, so 60% of it would be £378 – working out at £9.45 per hour for a 40-hour week. The proposition would bring the minimum wage in Jersey into line with the new rates in the UK, announced yesterday(WED) by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. The UK rate for those aged 22 and over has risen from £8.91 per hour to £9.50 per hour.
Deputy Southern said: ‘It is high time that we did away with poverty wages, and replaced the minimum wage by the living wage in the shortest timescale possible. This Council of Ministers has failed time after time to keep its promises to reduce income inequality.’
Reform Jersey party leader Senator Sam Mézec added that the current shortage of workers in Jersey strengthened the case for a further increase. He said: ‘The recruitment crisis might change some minds in the States Assembly. We are optimists.
‘We’ll keep fighting for it but it’s down to other parties to decide whether they want to provide people with a living wage or whether they just like talking about it.’
The proposition is due to be debated at the States sitting beginning 23 November.
