Living Wage rate will increase to $20.20 on 1 July 2017

EMBARGOED until 12:01am Tuesday 21 February

EMBARGOED MEDIA RELEASE: $20.20 is the 2017 Living Wage rate

The official 2017 New Zealand Living Wage is $20.20. The 40 cent increase will come into effect on 1 July 2017.

The Living Wage is defined as:

The income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. A Living Wage will enable workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society.

Living Wage National Convenor Annie Newman says that it has been another successful year with a lift of one third in the number of businesses becoming accredited as Living Wage Employers as the Living Wage is increasingly accepted as the acceptable standard for workers’ wages.

“Sixty four employers now ensure all workers, including their contracted staff, are paid enough money to live with dignity, including award winning companies like Little Island, Ponsonby Rd Bar in Rotorua, and Wherescape, an IT company. It shows you can thrive as a business and pay your workers a decent wage in New Zealand.

“The local body elections were also a huge success for the Living Wage Movement, with many of our new councils having a majority in support of a Living Wage and some taking their first steps to implementation during the 2017 annual planning process,” Annie says.

“There is also a growing of NGO and private sector employers who are leading by example by paying a Living Wage.”

ENDS

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