Minimum wage increase insufficient and demeaning

27 January 2009
for Immediate release

Minimum wage increase insufficient and demeaning says SFWU

The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota says a 25 cent increase to the minimum wage is insufficient and demeaning to the 100,000 people in New Zealand who earn on or about the minimum wage.

“Whilst an increase to the minimum wage is positive, this modest increase does nothing to help the financial situation of people who are barely able to survive on poverty wages,” said John Ryall, SFWU National Secretary.

“This increase means the Parliamentary cleaners we represent will now move up to $12.75 an hour. Given that the Minister of Finance, Bill English considers the appropriate minimum wage for a cleaner cleaning his house is $20 an hour, our members wages are still a long way from that. We will be approaching Parliamentary Services later this week to ask them to increase these workers rates to a liveable wage.”

ENDS

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