Six Provinces in Canada will increase Minimum Regional Wage

On 1 October 2023, six provinces in Canada will increase the Minimum Regional Wage. So all those who are keen to know how do I apply for job in Canada from India have one more reason to go ahead.  

At the beginning of April, the minimum federal wage in Canada increased to $16.65 from $15.55. It was an impactful move according to Employment and Social Development Canada. The reason is that roughly 26,000 employed Canadians get less than $15.55 hourly.

Following the trend at the federal level, sic provinces in Canada have now announced that they will also be increasing the minimum wage at the regional level.

The anticipated increase in the minimum wage from 1 October 2023 will be as follows:

Meanwhile, it has already been indicated by Saskatchewan that the province will again increase its minimum regional wage to hourly $15.00 from hourly $14.00 in October 2024

The implications of the changes for newcomers to Canada

Ontario Living Wage Network communications coordinator Craig Pickthorne has said that immigrants are one of the 3 groups along with “women” and “equity-seeking groups”. These find themselves overwhelmingly in affinity to the “lower end of the wage spectrum”.

Thus, specifically the federal minimum wages were increased in the beginning of April has impacted workers in occupations regulated federally. Now, the decision to increase the minimum regional wage will be beneficial to a larger number of recent immigrants to Canada.

The below table highlights the figures of fresh PR Visa holders that arrived in each of the provinces in Canada in 2022. For a major proportion of the newcomers in the 6 provinces that will receive an increase in minimum wages in October, the decision will be a welcome boost to their earning possibilities. The move is thus anticipated to help them in establishing themselves more comfortably in their new home.

Newcomers in Canada are safeguarded by universal labor laws

Immigrants in Canada are usually overrepresented in occupations with low wages. However, it must be understood importantly that they are nevertheless eligible for the same protections and rights on par with other Canadian workers.

Labor Code in Canada highlights that Citizens, Temporary Foreign Workers, Permanent Residents, Overseas Students, and all other workers are privileged to do their work in a safe ambiance and receive compensation for their work.

Further, Canadian employers must offer employees inclusive of newcomers, training for jobs, sensible healthcare services, information regarding their rights, and a copy of their agreement for employment.

The employment agreement has to highlight details inclusive of but not limited to, compensation rate and conditions of any suitable overtime work. It has to be offered to the employees before or on their first day of work.

Likewise, employers in Canada have to make sure that they do not ill-treat employees in any of the below ways inclusive of:

• Coercing workers to do unsafe work or work that is not included in their agreement for employment
• Coercing injured/sick employees to work
• Coercing overtime work on workers for whom this condition is not specified in their employment agreement
• Taking an employee’s work permit/passport forcibly
• Changing the immigration status of the employee or threatening them with being deported

Reporting misconduct by the employer

The apprehension of consequences like the loss of a job can prevent employees in Canada particularly newcomers from reporting misconduct at the workplace. But all residents in Canada have to know very importantly that territorial and provincial workplace health and safety rules are applicable across the nation to help them in reporting such concerns.  

Ontario Province for instance is the destination for majority of the immigrants to Canada. Here, immediate and urgent concerns can be brought to the notice of the Contact Centre for Health and Safety by phone.

Meanwhile, Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia have offered invitations to Candidates in the latest PNP draws. In the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, there is a target of 117,500 new PR Visa holders annually through PNPs.