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WQ.261/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13th JULY 2020
Question
Given the Minister's statement during oral questions without notice on 30th June 2020 that she had "stopped the consultation on the living wage", will the Minister explain what process will be used in place of advice from the Employment Forum to establish what the level of the minimum wage should be from October 2020?
Answer
Article 18 of the Employment Law sets out the process by which decisions about the level of the minimum wage rate are made. That is a statutory process, and includes a requirement that the Minister consults the Employment Forum before making an Order relating to the level of the minimum wage
Given the current economic conditions, the volatility of the employment market and the uncertainty surrounding business activity, it would be extremely difficult for the Employment Forum to arrive at a conclusive recommendation about the future level of the minimum wage at this time.
The comment I made, to which the Deputy refers, was in the context of my decision not to ask the Employment Forum, as part of the statutory consultation process, to consider an increase in the minimum wage level which would apply from April 2021. The Deputy will be aware that decisions about the level of the living wage are not subject to the statutory consultation process and I wish to clarify that for States' Members as a whole. I am sorry if I did not make the position clear during the Questions Without Notice session.
I have undertaken with the Chair of the Employment Forum that I will keep the situation under review as we move into the autumn.