Minimum Wage and Living Wage

Running Head: MINIMUM WAGE AND LIVING WAGE
MINIMUM WAGE AND LIVING WAGE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MINIMUM WAGE AND LIVING WAGE
Introduction:
In the country of British Columbia the minimum wage can be considered as the least
amount paid to the workers on the basis of an hour, by the employer of a company. The
minimum wage in British Columbia, is stipulated by the law imposed by the federal government
of the country. In other words, wage given by an employer may vary depending on the economy,
total demand for a product, competition in the labor market. On the other hand, the term ‘living
wage ‘implies the,a particular wage level, which will allow a person to make provision for
enough food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. In other words, it can be said that, living
wage is formed on the basis of the theoretical ideas on the economy of a country in concern, here
it is BritishColumbia.The purpose of this study is to delve deep into the problems generated due
to the substantial gaps in the minimum wage as well as living wage in the country of British
Columbia.
Thesis statement:
The argument represented in the thesis statement is that, a rise in the least or minimum
wage will not able to eliminate poverty in the British Columbia.
Rebuttal Paragraph:
According to Fletcher, the minimum or least wage should be enhanced to the living wage
standards across all province and territories. If the minimum least wage is not enhanced to the
living wage standard, then the industrial workers, in British Columbia, will not be able to make
provision for the basic amenities of life. Their financial condition will be lower. Industrial

2MINIMUM WAGE AND LIVING WAGE
workers in British Columbia will suffer from acute poverty along with the number of people who
live below the poverty level.
Evidence:
A total of 50 poverty lines are estimated across the country. Most of them are industrial
workers and earn below $15.20. The amount of the minimum wage they earn is considered to be
below the living wage.Hence, most of the industrial workers are categorized as people suffering
from acute poverty. According to the evidences found from Canada's First Poverty Reduction
Strategy, nearly 50% of the industrial workers in Canada do not have proper shelter. They live in
an unhygienic condition (www.cbc.ca).
Analysis:
An in depth analysis of the living condition of the industrial workers reveal that, most of
the industrial workers, especially women workers are not able to live with dignity. This is
because they have to survive in an unhealthy work environment and undergo maltreatment
frequently. As discussed by Rani et.al., a huge section of the Canadian workers receive the
amount of wage, which is much lower as compared to the living wage and they do not only
struggle to earn the basic necessities of living, but also beg for the minimum level of dignity
human beings should receive. They have suggested that, ensuring basic needs as well as dignity
to the workers will only be possible, if their minimum wage is raised to the level of living wage.
Hence, minimum wage should be enhanced above $15.20. An increment below that level within
2021 is considered to be too slow by British Columbia Federation of labor. In the year 2017,
according to a report published by the report of the economics professor David Green of UBC,
there has been an analysis regarding the low wage issues. The analysis indicates that the probable
impact of a $15 minimum wage on job loses would be much lowered than feared. His research