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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 08:24 |
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Today John Key announced that he intends to raise the minimum wage by a miserable 25 cents, from $12.50 to $12.75
This represents a 2% increase, below the rate of inflation, and well below the rise in costs experienced by most new zealanders as food, petrol and rent prices continue to skyrocket.
The ISO has been working in support of the Unite union's "campaign for a living wage", calling for an immediate rise to $15/hour and then fixing the minimum wage at 66%.
Dunedin is one of the lowest paid cities in new Zealand, with a disproportionate number of people working for less than $15/hour. With more jobs being lost every week, it is essential that we stand up for our dignity and standard of living. "The government throwing 25 cents to minimum wage workers is a cheap shot" said Campaign for a Living Wage organiser Joe Carolan.
This is barely 2% of nothing, and will be well below real inflation when his government raises GST in the budget."
"Low paid workers are sick of being insulted by millionaires like John Key. We'll be initiating for action on the back of this slap on the face, and there'll be a loud and angry protest this afternoon at 5pm at Auckland's Chamber of Commerce on Mayoral Drive".
"What workers need is a living wage- we've been pushing for $15 an hour now, and for the minimum wage to be set at 66% of the median wage. Tens of thousands of people have signed our petition for a Citizens Initiated Referendum, but John Key has infuriated the half million workers earning less than 600 bucks with this derisory pittance". from: www.unite.org.nz
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