CTU Media Release

29 August 2012

CTU backs calls for a living wage

CTU is backing the campaign for a living wage being launched in Wellington tomorrow by the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota.

CTU President, Helen Kelly says "we know that ordinary, hard working Kiwi's are struggling to make ends meet and we're fully backing this community movement to lift pay."

“There are about 300,000 workers on, or near, the minimum wage, and two out of five children in poverty are in families where one parent works. Having a job is no longer a guarantee that you will be able to provide for the necessities of life for you and your family. Low pay means working families are still struggling to provide food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, childcare, power and other necessities. Paying workers a living wage is the best way to address the real poverty we are seeing in New Zealand at the moment. A living wage would also go a long way towards alleviating our growing inequality.”

Helen Kelly says "this government is presiding over record inequality, rather than addressing the problem, its only making things worse with unfair tax changes and unfair employment law changes that they themselves acknowledge will cut wages further."

“We need a real commitment to decent jobs in New Zealand and lifting pay requires improvements in the minimum wage, improvements in collective bargaining coverage, sharing the benefits of productivity improvements, and a real recognition that the huge inequalities of income are unjustified and must be addressed.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media