Saskatchewan NDP Leader, Ryan Meili, has dismissed the provincial government’s minimum wage increase of 13 cents, as an insult.

Minimum wage is set to increase from $11.32 per hour to $11.45 on October 1st.

Meili is pressing for Saskatchewan to bring relief to front line workers by substantially raising the minimum wage. He says thirteen cents doesn’t get you very far and it doesn’t help the majority of families already living paycheque to paycheque before COVID-19. The NDP claim Saskatchewan’s minimum wage hurts working people and the economy, they say after the substantial economic shock of a pandemic lock-down and a plunge in commodity prices, the boost that a bit more money in people’s pockets would offer is even more important.

Meili suggests Premier Scott Moe is letting Saskatchewan families down, when leadership is needed the most, and says the New Democrats are committed to bringing a $15 minimum wage in their first term in government.

With the increase Saskatchewan will still have the second lowest minimum wage in Canada, just ahead of Newfoundland and Labrador’s $11.15.