Growing’s big players happy with £6 wage

Wednesday 14th April 2010, 11:30AM BST.

Vicky Robert, Filomena Da Silva and Elisabete Goncalves all work for Guernsey Clematis, which already pays more than the proposed £6 an hour minimum wage. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0950780)

THE proposed minimum wage of £6 an hour is reasonable, according to horticultural industry leaders.

But some politicians think the rate should be higher.

If Commerce and Employment’s proposed rates are agreed by the States next month, workers aged 19 or over will be paid at least £6 and those between 16 and 19 £4.25 an hour from 1 October.

Guernsey Clematis general manager Paul Ingrouille said the rate seemed reasonable because it was in line with other countries. The company would not be affected because it already pays more than £6.

‘We always took a different approach and never got involved in accommodation and transport and issues like that. We’ve taken a line that it is the individual’s problem to sort those out,’ he said.