BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on Minimum Wage Increase

In response to the provincial government’s announcement to increase the minimum wage by 6.9%, Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“The BC Chamber of Commerce is extremely disappointed with the government’s decision to increase the minimum wage by such a significant amount. This decision is the wrong choice, at the wrong time.

The increase comes on the heels of several government decisions in the last 14 months that have added significantly to the cost of doing business in British Columbia, for example, through the introduction of the mandatory five days paid sick leave and the recently announced new statutory holiday. Today’s announcement will make it difficult for many businesses to manage their operations moving forward and is a disincentive to (re)invest in our province.

We believe the health of a community is a direct function of the health of the businesses that operate within it. Today’s announcement only adds to the urgency we see for government to take meaningful actions that support businesses so they can create jobs, hire workers, contribute to community growth and drive economic sustainability and prosperity.”