In Canada, there is quite a cost-of-living disparity among cities. For example, the cost of living is currently estimated at anywhere from 17% to 33% less in Saskatoon than in Toronto, depending on the range of items compared. So an unindexed national minimum wage would either advantage or disadvantage workers in one city, relative to the other, or have such effects in reverse on small businesses that rely on low cost labor. Presumably a well-designed tax system could iron out the worst imbalances.

Is it immoral not to have a national minimum wage?

In many european Countries a minimum wage has been legally introduced.

The discussion is about its height and the ways it can be controlled...

I don't think it is immoral at all. The idea was originated to support workers and to ensure people who work will earn enough money to live off. Nonetheless, like any other price policies (ceiling or floor), Min wage has its own benefits and drawbacks, and if not set right, the min wage level won't be enough to fix issues such as poverty or unemployment, and so it won't be "effective" so to speak.

Taha Chaiechi Should we consider local conditions? The same NATIONAL wage may be too high in one place, and too low in another.

legally speaking there should be no variations or exclusions based on region, size of employer, or occupation (there is variation for different age groups), nonetheless, the enforcement of the min wage remains a big issue in many countries that impose min wage policy. Also, sometimes when different parts of a country faces different living costs and conditions, the "living wage" may also be calculated for different areas which is an informal benchmark, and the employers are "encouraged" to take that in account , unions may campaign for the living wage and some companies may voluntarily chose to pay that instead.

Taha Chaiechi Perhaps it would be better to delegate the decision to a sub-national level of government. They know the local conditions MUCH better than the local politicians. The mountains are high and Washington, D.C. is very far away.

Agreed. National, local conditions must be Seen and applied. Eg in the EU The conditions vary strongly between Germany, Irland, Spain and Romania, Bulgaria... A common minimum wage is not suitable. But the idea that in every EU member State a minimum wage should be introduced is dicussed...

Taha Chaiechi Please see the excellent response from Carsten Weerth Thank you sir.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/articles/view/20170213/local/how-maltas-minimum-wage-compares-to-that-in-other-eu-countries.639515

Here I am sharing an overview of the minimum wage in 28 EU member States...

https://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/articles/view/20170213/local/how-maltas-minimum-wage-compares-to-that-in-other-eu-countries.639515

Here I am sharing an overview of the minimum wage in 28 EU member States...

You question is quite challenging as usual, ProfessorJoseph Tham. I agree, we should consider local conditions. In Indonesia, for instance, the government takes into account variations in local price indices as well as inflation. The national legislation set the criteria which workers'needs should be covered by minimum wage. Based on this legislation, city and municipal governments annually determined local minimum wage. Accordingly, these cities and municipalities implement different minimum wage.

Here I am sharing the official EU statistics page on the topic minimum wage, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Minimum_wage_statistics

Yudhi Dharma Nauly

From a public policy point of view, it is very puzzling for me when politicians argue for a “national” minimum wage. From a practical point of view, it makes no sense.

Why is it so difficult for us to persuade the decision makers? Very puzzling.

I believe that it is wise to leave the politicians out of the regional minimum wage settlement process. In Indonesia, a tripartite body which consists of representatives of workers, employers and local government, annually set the regional minimum wage. The debate in this tripartite body is quite straightforward without wasting time dealing with politics.

Just ti clarify: in Europe it is acknowledged that a minimum wage level is set by the National goverment on nationwide level and it must be paid by the private Abd public businesses as Euro per hour...

What sometimes is also discussed under that headline is a minimal monthly welfare income that is financed by the state in order to feed the poor/persons in need which is normally given AS monthly allowance of state welfare / payment without work...

22 out of 28 EU member states are applying a legal nationwide minimal wage per hour that is differing strongly, See

https://de.statista.com/infografik/2080/mindestlohn-in-europa/

Here are all 22 national minimum wage per hour in Euro, https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/37401/umfrage/gesetzliche-mindestloehne-in-der-eu/

In Canada, there is quite a cost-of-living disparity among cities. For example, the cost of living is currently estimated at anywhere from 17% to 33% less in Saskatoon than in Toronto, depending on the range of items compared. So an unindexed national minimum wage would either advantage or disadvantage workers in one city, relative to the other, or have such effects in reverse on small businesses that rely on low cost labor. Presumably a well-designed tax system could iron out the worst imbalances.

Following answers