Minimum wage lift welcome but Living Wage needed – E Tu

E tū welcomes today’s lift in the minimum wage from $16.50 to $17.70 but says it doesn’t go far enough.

“We are delighted that thousands of New Zealanders will receive an increase of $1.20 per hour from today,” says Annie Newman, E tū’s Director of Campaigning.

“E tū is pleased that this is the first of three steps toward a decent minimum wage of $20.00 in 2021 but $17.70 still means a gap of nearly 15% between the minimum wage and the Living Wage.

“We are calling for all employers to pay the Living Wage because that is the income workers need to live with dignity,” she says.

The Living Wage is currently $20.55.

E tū delegate and security guard, Ken Renata says he’s seen his wages move steadily upwards since he first began working as a guard six years ago, when his wage was just $14.45.

“The Government has made a big difference,” he says, with the new rate set to lift his income above his current pay of $17.00 an hour.

But he says for people with families, $17.70 is still too little to live on and security guards with children typically work very long hours.

“You have to work 60 hours or more a week and that takes you away from your family,” says Ken.

Invercargill cleaner and delegate, Alana Clarke earns about $16.80 an hour at each of her five cleaning jobs.

She describes the minimum wage increase as “great,” but she worries there will still be people who can’t make ends meet.

Alana works about 60 hours a week: “If I cut back, life would be really hard,” she says. She says she dreams about earning the Living Wage: “That would be awesome.”