Employee reward and benefits news
CTU: $15 minimum wage would improve equality
The New Zealand government has the opportunity to improve wage equality and stimulate the economy by instituting a $15 minimum wage.
This is the opinion of Peter Conway, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) secretary.
Increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour will make the country fairer and help families cope with the rising cost of living, he said.
"[It] would be a very significant step in addressing income disparity by raising the income of those most vulnerable to low pay, and the easiest way to compensate low income workers for increases in the cost of living."
Raising the minimum income threshold will also give workers a boost, after missing out on tax cuts at the end of 2011.
Tax cuts increase the difference between a worker on $30,000 a year and someone on $150,000 by $135 per week.
The call on the New Zealand government from the CTU follows the historic move by the Labor Government in Australia to increase the wages of workers in the social and community sector.
Posted by Editorial Team
