Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace to make living wage recommendation on Tuesday

At next Tuesday’s full Hutt City Council meeting Mayor Ray Wallace will make a recommendation that Hutt City Council “supports in principle” the living wage and will ask the Chief Executive to investigate paying the living wage to its staff.

Mayor Wallace says, “Hutt City Council has always had a good reputation as a good employer and staff are valued for the work they do for the city."

“The issue for Council has been recently we received legal advice that states a Council can’t pay the living wage unless it can prove under the Local Government Act that by doing so, it is the most cost effective way to provide the service.
“We are currently getting further advice on this and will continue to work with the Living Wage - Hutt Valley group. Our working relationship with this group has been very good and I am sure with goodwill on both sides a positive outcome can be found."

The Council will also consult on paying the living wage in this year’s proposed Annual Plan consultation. The cost of implementing such a wage for staff will cost approximately 0.33 per cent of Council’s current spend which would require an additional $570,000 per annum in the budget.

ENDS

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