Media Release
Tuesday 31 May 2005

Health $15ph Minimum Wage Works in UK NHS

“The Government must set and fund a $15 per hour minimum wage for health workers in hospitals and Non Government Organisation (NGO) health services to provide them with a liveable wage,” said Paul Piesse, Co-leader of the Alliance party today.

“Non-nurse health workers in New Zealand are earning rates of pay they cannot live on ($10-11 per hour). The recent budget failed to address this issue,” said Paul Piesse.

“A Government direction to District Health Board NZ to set a minimum health sector pay rate of $15 would both help workers to make a living without doing vast amounts of overtime, and avoid coming disruption to services.”

“Such a system can and does work. In the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom, 90% of NHS employers were paying wages round £3.46 per hour in 2000. Now in 2005 a NHS minimum wage of £5.69 per hour (about $15 per hour) has been implemented. “

“Until health workers have enough pay to look after their own family, how can they care for others,” said Paul Piesse. “The Government needs to guarantee to fund the minimum pay rates for Hospital Boards and Non Government Organisations in health through the formulae in the various contracts set.”

ENDS

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