Minimum wage goes up

Wednesday 18th January 2012, 2:58PM GMT.

Social Security Minister Francis Le Gresley

THE minimum wage will go up to £6.48 per hour from 1 April.

Following a decision in the States yesterday Social Security Minister Francis Le Gresley will now order the 16p-an-hour rise as recommended by the Jersey Employment Forum. The trainee rate will also go up from £4.74 to £4.86 an hour.

An earlier move by Deputy Geoff Southern to add an extra 4p to the minimum wage figure was rejected by 43 votes to eight.

He had proposed the increase to keep the minimum wage at just over 40 per cent of mean weekly earnings as it had been in recent years.

1
the thin wallet

January 18, 2012 at 3:43 pm

its now the rest of us who are not on minimum wage need a rise too.

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2
Geeky Blogger

January 18, 2012 at 5:28 pm

£6.48 an hour? It makes me wonder how people can live on such a pittiful amount of money in a so called tax haven.

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- the thin wallet
  
  January 19, 2012 at 1:12 pm
  
  i can only guess that income support tops up the shortfall , one way or another.
  those who get income support had a rise ,and now minimum wage people.
  however they may get a reduction in income support as they are now earning more ( i call it robbing pete to pay paul).
  yet as my hours dwindle i get no help, just a shrinking quality of life .
  
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3
Mario

January 18, 2012 at 6:12 pm

How pathetic 43 well paid individuals telling those amongst the poorest in society they can’t have 4p/hour. What is 16p/hour? Next to nothing.

As far as I am concerned at least 8 have a social concience and should be congratulated.

I have no doubt the usual right wing supporters will be trying to justify the unjustifiable.

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- Sam
  
  January 18, 2012 at 7:25 pm
  
  Mario, for the record, those 8 that voted in support were -
  
  Senator Breckon
  Deputies T and S Pitman
  Deputy Tadier
  Deputy Higgins
  Deputy Baudains
  Deputy Southern
  Constable of St Brelade
  
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4
Sam

January 18, 2012 at 6:58 pm

That’s right folks, the States voted to deny the poorest in the island 4p extra an hour. 4 pence. Practically nothing.

This would have brought the minimum wage to a proportion of the mean wage that it was originally intended to be. Instead it is now lower than that.

Deputy Tadier said in the debate that “this is the vote that regularly divides the chamber into those who are here to look out for the worst off in our society and those who are here for other reasons.” Well said. Shame on the 43 who voted against it.

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5
geoff

January 18, 2012 at 9:04 pm

with alot of the states members having a interest in companies in the island they would not vote in 20p because it would damaged the poor companies profit and there pocket at the end of the day. The saying I will scratch your back comes to mind

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6
Fanny by Gaslight*

January 19, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Hey! why all the negativity on here?
Thats 16p more towards your next Range Rover or German car! Finally everyone can now own the same cars,and join the Jersey celebrity band.”How very life enriching indeed”….

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7
Private Sector Work

January 19, 2012 at 3:10 pm

Now that minimum wage has gone on, how about the rest of us public sector workers that have had to have a pay freeze over the last few years?

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- Jerseybean
  
  January 20, 2012 at 1:20 pm
  
  Public Sector workers have been overpaid for years.Most people on minimum wage work weekends,night shifts bank holidays for basic pay and to top it off now have 0-Hour contracts,so are sent home as and when the boss wishes,Now would you like to swop…
  
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