Lift the freeze on low pay

CTU media release
27 November 2009

Lift the freeze on low pay

The Government cannot ignore the thousands of protestors who are marching across New Zealand to demand an end to the wage freeze on low paid public and community sector workers, said CTU President Helen Kelly today.

Demonstrations in 27 towns and cities from Kaitaia to Invercargill coincide with strike action by workers hit by the pay freeze. The strikes involve public hospital service workers and community support workers employed by IHC/IDEA Services New Zealand who belong to the Service and Food Workers Union; and South Island hospital administration staff who belong to the Public Service Association.

School support staff who belong to the New Zealand Educational Institute are also joining the rallies in advance of their own ‘Fair Deal’ day of action in Auckland tomorrow Saturday 28 November.

“The Government has to realise that a wage freeze on low paid workers is a backward step,” said Helen Kelly. “It’s backward because low paid workers will spend all their salary which is good for the economy. It’s backward because we will never catch up with Australia if we can’t even increase the lowest incomes. It’s backward because wages elsewhere in the economy are still going up. Most of all, it’s backward because the cost of living is still going up too, so a wage freeze really amounts to a wage cut for those least able to afford it.”

“And where will these essential public services go by freezing the pay of school support staff, cleaners and orderlies, and administrators in our schools, hospitals, social services and government departments? If the Government doesn’t recognise that those workers are vital then those services are only going to go backwards, to the detriment of everyone in New Zealand.”

The three unions are taking the collective action in support of a wide range of workers, many of whom are paid only marginally above the statutory minimum wage. They include: school support staff; hospital cleaners, food service staff and orderlies; South Island hospital administration staff; and workers supporting the elderly and disabled.

ENDS

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