Call to change Guernsey minimum wage rate calculations

The minimum wage should be calculated according to the average salary, a Guernsey politician has suggested.

Next week, deputies are due to vote on increasing minimum hourly pay to £6.15 for adults and £4.36 for young people.

Deputy Matt Fallaize said Commerce and Employment's preferred policy seemed to be increasing it by the retail price index (RPI).

He has placed a motion asking for it to be linked to average earnings instead.

The timeline he has set would see the minimum wage be 40% of average earnings by 2014, and 45% by 2020.

Deputy Fallaize said he also wanted to make it easier for deputies to try to change the rate proposed by Commerce and Employment as currently the only option members have is to approve or reject the proposals.