Jersey's minimum wage to rise by £2 a week

Proposals to increase Jersey's minimum wage by 5p an hour have been approved by the island's social security minister.

Senator Francis Le Gresley agreed to the rise, equal to about £2 extra a week, put forward by the Employment Forum.

The new figure of £6.53 an hour will take effect from 1 April 2013.

Senator Le Gresley said there needed to be a rise, but it had to be tempered by the current economic climate.

The Employment Forum, which is made up of nine non-political members, offers recommendations on a range of employment related issues.

'Attract unemployed people'

Its call to increase the trainee hourly wage, for employees on training schemes in the first year of a new trainee positions, by 4p per hour to £4.90 was approved.

Senator Le Gresley also agreed to the introduction of a new second year trainee rate of £5.71, for those who have undertaken training for a year and will continue to do so for a second.

He said: "I hope that the option of a longer trainee rate period will encourage employers to increase the availability of good quality training opportunities and trainee positions, and that these positions would attract local unemployed people."

The Social Security Department is due to present changes in law later this year to revise, simplify and clarify the criteria that must be met for employees to be paid the trainee rates.