15 February, 2013

Immediate Release

NZEI says the Government should do more for low-paid workers

NZEI Te Riu Roa says it is not acceptable for the Government to be standing back and doing nothing for low-paid workers.

In support of the Living Wage Campaign, NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter says many NZEI support staff members earn less that the $18.40 an hour – the rate proposed as an acceptable living wage by the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit report, which was released this week.

The living wage for New Zealanders has been set at $18.40 an hour in the report which is well above the $13.50 minimum wage.

The starting wage for school administration staff and teacher aides is around $15 an hour.

“Lots of our members working in schools are being taken advantage of. Some of them, such as school administration staff work well beyond the call of duty, especially with the Novopay debacle and teacher aides often put in a lot of their own time making resources and going on courses to help the special needs children they work with.”

Mr Goulter also said that support staff were not paid over school holidays and were often under threat of having their hours cut from term to term due to pressures within school budgets.

“This is a perfect example of precarious as well as low paid work and it is not acceptable. People need secure, stable work and to be paid a decent wage for their labour.”

Mr Goulter also said the low-wage problem affected the country’s children with 22 percent living in poverty – many of whom came from families where at least one parent was working.

“Poverty, as we know, has drastic effects on educational outcomes. Hungry children suffering from diseases of poverty cannot learn.”

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