November 8, 2005
Fair Share delivers record wage rises
News that wages are growing at the fastest rate since records began is evidence of what workers can achieve when they
stick together, says the union behind the Fair Share – Five in ’05 campaign.
Statistics New Zealand figures out today show that the average pay increase in the year to September was 5.1 per cent,
and that the Labour Cost Index rose 3.1 per cent in that time – the largest increase since the LCI began in 1992.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the single factor driving wage
growth this year and absent from previous years back to 1992 was a concerted campaign by unions to increase New Zealand
wages.
“We started this campaign because New Zealanders’ wages are too low,” he said.
“These statistics are in accordance with our own information, and show that the campaign is working. This campaign will
continue next year.”
Mr Little said that some 13,000 EPMU members had won pay rises of five per cent or more since the Fair Share – Five in
’05 campaign began on February 27.
ENDS