Minister apologises over minimum wage comments

The minister for sustainable economic development has apologised for commenting about the minimum wage without discussing it with colleagues first.

Deputy Gerald Voisin said he was not calling for the abolition of the minimum wage in a letter he wrote to a newspaper in which he said was "strangling our economy".

He said he had wanted to "raise points" about the wage which he felt "had been lacking".

Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham said: "Ministers are entitled to hold different views, but significant policy matters must be properly considered through the appropriate ministerial processes."

Voisin said he was committed to working with colleagues "to support a competitive and sustainable economy that provides good jobs, rising living standards and opportunities for islanders and businesses alike".

He apologised to islanders "who were concerned or unsettled by my comments" and said he wanted to clarify his views.

He said: "My letter did not state that Jersey's statutory minimum wage should be removed and for the avoidance of doubt, I will not be pursuing an abolition."

Voisin said the minimum wage gave employees an "important protection".

"I do, however, believe there is a legitimate discussion to be had on future policy responses to help islanders cope with the high cost of living in Jersey, a part of which will include the minimum wage," he added.

Farnham said the government had "no intention" of scrapping the minimum wage which "provides an important protection for lower-paid workers".

In a letter published by the government Farnham told Voisin: "The publication of your views, particularly given that I had asked that the letter be withdrawn prior to publication, caused understandable concern among many islanders."

He said workers who rely on the minimum wage "may have been worried about what such a proposal could mean for them and their families" and it had "created uncertainty" about the government's position.

Farnham warned the deputy he would expect him to resign if there was a "further significant failure to observe the Ministerial Code or appropriate ministerial processes".

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