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Alberta's wages lag behind other provinces, NDP calls for more action

Alberta workers are only being paid between four and five per cent more since the pandemic, but prices have gone up more than 10 per cent, says the Business Council of Alberta. (File) Alberta workers are only being paid between four and five per cent more since the pandemic, but prices have gone up more than 10 per cent, says the Business Council of Alberta. (File)
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Albertans are falling behind in the affordability crisis and the UCP government is partially to blame for making the situation worse, says the NDP.

The Official Opposition made the comments during a media availability in Calgary, where NDP MLA Joe Ceci said workers in this province are working harder than ever before but are slipping further behind.

"They're struggling to make ends meet, but the UCP have done next to nothing to support families during this affordability crisis," said Joe Ceci, NDP MLA for Calgary-Buffalo, in a release.

According to data from the Business Council of Alberta, prices have increased by 10 per cent since the pandemic but wages here have only gone up between four and five per cent, which is "well below many other provinces."

The NDP says with housing, utility, gas and grocery costs all well above normal levels, it is surprising to see the province on the verge of announcing a surplus in its first quarter update.

"The province is collecting record resource revenue, but Albertans aren't feeling it," said Kathleen Ganley, NDP Energy Critic and MLA for Calgary-Mountain View.

"Instead, many Albertans are struggling to pay their bills and keep a roof over their head."

Ganley and the rest of the NDP suggest that the UCP government should work toward "real relief" for Albertans including making changes to income taxes, putting money back into post-secondary education or reversing many of their polices "that have increased costs on Albertans."

(Supplied/Alberta Snapshot Summer 2022/Business Council of Alberta)

The UCP government told CTV News in a statement that wages have increased every year while Premier Jason Kenney has been in office.

"We take no lessons on economic growth from the party that drove tens of billions in investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs out of the province," said Kenney's press secretary Justin Brattinga in an email.

"Under the previous NDP government, wages only increased by 1.48 per cent in four years' time, even shrinking some years. In contrast, wages have risen more than eight per cent in the past three years and are expected to continue to rise along with Alberta's nation leading economic growth."

He said Alberta has led the nation in "assistance to combat inflation" and will share more details on further initiatives in the near future.

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