NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes Green Party commitment to fairness for working Kiwis

September 2nd 2014

NZEI Te Riu Roa has welcomed the Green Party's commitment to making work fairer and more equitable, saying it would also result in tangible benefits for children and their learning.

NZEI Te Riu Roa President Judith Nowotarski says the pledge to increase the minimum wage, implement pay equity, introduce a living wage for public sector workers, outlaw "zero hours" contracts and dump the 90 day "fire at will" legislation would immediately benefit New Zealanders.

"Committing to lifting the minimum wage and introducing the Living Wage in the state sector will be particularly welcomed by special education support workers and school support staff because of their low pay and job insecurity," she says.

"Overall, the Greens' policy could also bring tangible benefits to thousands of New Zealand children currently living in poverty, even though their parents are working. Lifting inadequate family incomes is an essential step in addressing child poverty - and therefore increasing children's opportunities to succeed educationally."

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