Porirua City Council is set to become a fully accredited living wage employer.

Council has been paying staff the living wage since 2019, and last year extended this to also apply to contractors, as contracts come up for renewal. At a meeting this morning Council voted to formally apply for accreditation to reflect those earlier decisions.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said the time was right to take this step, to recognise the commitment already made.

"It’s important to us that our people are paid a wage that allows them to live with dignity, and that’s why we’ve been paying our staff the living wage for some time.

"It makes sense to take this final step of applying for formal accreditation from the Living Wage Movement, so we can make it official."

Mayor Baker said the move also showed regional alignment in the way local government paid their employees and contractors.

The Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ was formed in 2012 and there are now more than 300 businesses or organisations accredited as living wage employers.

The Living Wage Movement advise that employers report reduced staff turnover, create a more productive work environment and increased business as a direct result of paying a Living Wage. Workers talk about spending more time with their families, feeling valued, less stressed, and consequently happier and more motivated in their workplaces.

"Our people are what make this city special and they deserve to be properly compensated for their work," Mayor Baker said.

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