Dignity, Equality and a Living Wage at the Selwyn Foundation Public Meeting

The Coalition of Selwyn Supporters will hold a public meeting Wednesday 5th August 7pm, at Pt Chevalier Primary School Auditorium to call on the Selwyn Foundation to lead the way in aged care by paying a Living Wage to their staff and ensuring that residents live with dignity.

The Living Wage rate is $19.25 per hour and Selwyn pays the vast majority of its caregiving, cleaning, laundry and service staff between $14.75 and $17.97 per hour.

The meeting will bring together the constituencies of the coalition, which include residents of Selwyn, families of residents, Auckland Grey Power, local Pt Chevalier residents and members of the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa.

The meeting will host three keynote speakers. Judy McGregor, author of the 2012 Human Rights Commission report ‘Caring Counts’ on the aged care workforce. Dr. Jackie Blue, Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner and Charles Waldegrave, researcher from the Family Centre Social Policy Centre who calculated the living wage rate.

Selwyn Foundation resident Jenefer Wright is concerned about the wages of staff at the Foundation. “We residents lead privileged lives here at Selwyn Village, but as I age and become less active, I would feel uncomfortable and morally compromised if the workers caring for me earned less than a Living Wage.”

Diana Yukich from Living Wage Aotearoa says “low pay means that many workers at Selwyn are struggling to pay for basic necessities to support their families and that impacts our society as whole. Selwyn can do their bit to reduce poverty, by paying a Living Wage”.

Coalition of Selwyn Supporters Public meeting ‘Calling for Dignity, Equality and a Living Wage at the Selwyn Foundation’
Wednesday 5th August 2015
Pt Chevalier Primary School Auditorium
7pm

ENDS

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