Pitiful minimum wage rise no joke for many
April 10 2014
The minimum wage rise which took affect on April 1st, is too little and too late and will do nothing for working New Zealanders who rely on it, said Labour Leader David Cunliffe.
“The cost of housing, whether renting or buying, is now so out of kilter with the ability of low income families to pay the bills that another few dollars a week will go nowhere near making up the shortfall.
“The brutal reality for these workers is they are not getting their fair share and this is contributing to growth in income inequality and family poverty.
“That’s confirmed by the fact almost two-thirds of New Zealanders feel they are no better off or have gone backwards, in the six years National has been in government.
“Not only that, but in real terms median wages have dropped in many regions over the same period.
“National has also failed to address the lack of minimum wage protection for thousands of vulnerable contractors and cut the pay of young minimum wage workers.
“It had a chance to stick up for our lowest paid workers and help make a real difference to their lives and those of their children, but once again turned its back on them.
“Labour would do better – raising the minimum wage to $15 within its first 100 days in Government, followed by another rise in 2015. We would also address the lack of minimum wage protection for vulnerable contractors,” David Cunliffe said.
First Union:
Low income families struggling with high costs have been let down by minimum wage increase, FIRST Union said. Speaking from Christchurch, FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid said that the 50 cent minimum wage increase coming into force today would do little to help low income families.
“The benefits from any economic recovery need to be better shared. It is no good having improving indicators in some areas of our economy but wealth continuing to be concentrated among an elite while hundreds of thousands of families are still living in poverty,” he said.
“The government has an opportunity each year with the minimum wage review to make a difference for our poorest working households, but this opportunity has been lost, with an increase of just $2.25 since 2008.”
PSA:
Richard Wagstaff, PSA National Secretary, said “a 50 cent increase is little relief for thousands of working families struggling to get by.”
“The Government had the opportunity to help workers struggling with the cost of living, but instead chose only a miserly increase.
“It looks like the Government’s ‘rock star economy’ is just putting out a load of noise without any substance for low-paid workers,” said Richard Wagstaff.
The minimum wage rise which took affect on April 1st, is too little and too late and will do nothing for working New Zealanders who rely on it, said Labour Leader David Cunliffe.
“The cost of housing, whether renting or buying, is now so out of kilter with the ability of low income families to...
The minimum wage rise which took affect on April 1st, is too little and too late and will do nothing for working New Zealanders who rely on it, said Labour Leader David Cunliffe.
“The cost of housing, whether renting or buying, is now so out of kilter with the ability of low income families to pay the bills that another few dollars a week will go nowhere near making up the shortfall.
“The brutal reality for these workers is they are not getting their fair share and this is contributing to growth in income inequality and family poverty.
“That’s confirmed by the fact almost two-thirds of New Zealanders feel they are no better off or have gone backwards, in the six years National has been in government.
“Not only that, but in real terms median wages have dropped in many regions over the same period.
“National has also failed to address the lack of minimum wage protection for thousands of vulnerable contractors and cut the pay of young minimum wage workers.
“It had a chance to stick up for our lowest paid workers and help make a real difference to their lives and those of their children, but once again turned its back on them.
“Labour would do better – raising the minimum wage to $15 within its first 100 days in Government, followed by another rise in 2015. We would also address the lack of minimum wage protection for vulnerable contractors,” David Cunliffe said.
First Union:
Low income families struggling with high costs have been let down by minimum wage increase, FIRST Union said. Speaking from Christchurch, FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid said that the 50 cent minimum wage increase coming into force today would do little to help low income families.
“The benefits from any economic recovery need to be better shared. It is no good having improving indicators in some areas of our economy but wealth continuing to be concentrated among an elite while hundreds of thousands of families are still living in poverty,” he said.
“The government has an opportunity each year with the minimum wage review to make a difference for our poorest working households, but this opportunity has been lost, with an increase of just $2.25 since 2008.”
PSA:
Richard Wagstaff, PSA National Secretary, said “a 50 cent increase is little relief for thousands of working families struggling to get by.”
“The Government had the opportunity to help workers struggling with the cost of living, but instead chose only a miserly increase.
“It looks like the Government’s ‘rock star economy’ is just putting out a load of noise without any substance for low-paid workers,” said Richard Wagstaff.
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