Labour statistics show more effort from government required

The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming signs today, in the Labour Market Statistics, of stronger pay rises coming through but says there is a long way still to go.

"It is good to see a strong rise in the average wage over the last year, and that more Kiwi workers are getting pay rises, but more must be done to deliver for all working people," said CTU President Richard Wagstaff.

In the private sector, the average wage rose 3.7 percent over the year but in the public sector, despite the effect of the nurses’ settlement, the average wage rose only 1.8 percent. Many working people are still not getting pay rises, and those who do get rises are too often not getting enough to meet rising housing costs and to get ahead. The Labour Cost Index showed the rate for the job was rising only as fast as price rises at 1.9 percent."

"There is much more to do to ensure workers are getting a fair share of the income they generate. Fair Pay Agreements and improved collective bargaining are urgently needed as the implementation of these will have a real difference on people’s lives,"

"This Government must step up the urgency and resources it puts into supporting people out of work, to help them into work, and into support for industry to develop good high value jobs that pay decent wages," Wagstaff said.

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