The Coalition Government has announced the largest increase to the minimum wage, ever, in its move towards its minimum wage goal of $20 per hour by 2021.
FIRST Union General Secretary Dennis Maga says while the minimum wage (currently $16.50), is not enough to live off and should only have ever been used as a very temporary rate, the increase will make a difference.
“We welcome it and celebrate the increase to $17.70. It will mean almost an extra $50 dollars a week on a full time (40-hour) work week. Fifty dollars is a lot of money, especially when you’re receiving just over $500 in the hand each week on the current minimum wage working full time. It will mean food on the table and less worry about the power being shut off.
Mr Maga says considering the emergence of the working poor, something previous generations have never experienced, it’s safe to say we have reached a new low on wages in New Zealand.
“Wages in New Zealand have been far too low for far too long, the capital versus people’s share of wealth has been tipped against working people, it’s time people started earning more of the returns their work produces. Inequality is a shameful part of New Zealand and these increases will begin to close the gap between the rich and poor which has been growing over the last 30 years. This is a change that’s heading in the right direction. Next year will be a little easier for some of our most deprived working people. FIRST Union organisers work in very profitable industries yet we still have low wage workers.”
