But the island’s minimum wage will not necessarily be identical to Guernsey’s, which is currently £12.60 an hour for an over-18.
The law will give Alderney States the option to either follow the Guernsey rate, or set their own different rate, taking into account local conditions, on an annual basis.
The next stage in the process will come as early as June, when the States of Guernsey will be asked to approve legislation allowing the Employment and Equality Opportunities Service’s remit to be extended, so that it can consider any complaints lodged under Alderney’s proposed new law.
The same minor legislative change is due to go before the States of Alderney in September, with the main law to follow very soon afterwards – possibly as early as October.
The driving force behind bringing in a minimum wage in Alderney is States Member Kevin Gentle.
He described the process of bringing the project to fruition as ‘being like wading through treacle’ pointing out that the States of Alderney approved the idea in principle back in 2019.
But Mr Gentle said he was delighted that the initiative now seemed to have gained traction, with final touches being made to a bespoke law at the Law Officers’ Chambers.
He said that the legislative task would have been a lot easier if the original Guernsey law had been approved as ‘bailiwick legislation’, but back then the States of Alderney was against the concept.
If the new law was passed in October, Mr Gentle said he did not know when the minimum wage would be introduced in the island but he hoped it would be ‘active’ by next year.
Over the years the idea of having a minimum wage in Alderney has sparked considerable debate in the island.
Some businesses have suggested the local economy might be too fragile to support a higher wage environment.
But others have pointed out that the cost of living in Alderney is even higher than in Guernsey, and suggested that protection for low income employees was even more important.
Meanwhile some Guernsey States members have questioned how it can be right for those on low wages in Alderney to qualify for income support, paid out of the Bailiwick’s general revenue pot, and largely funded by Guernsey, when there is no minimum wage in the island.