CTU calls for $15 minimum wage

The CTU today called for an increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour.  The policy position was announced at the launch of the CTU political strategy in Wellington this morning.

“The CTU has set out a strong case for a $15 minimum wage in our submission to the Annual Review of the Minimum Wage,” CTU secretary Carol Beaumont said.

“Low wages are not just bad for workers. They are damaging to our economy. They hold back investment in capital and technology to improve productivity.  New Zealand workers are putting in more hours of work than almost any other OECD country – yet our wages and productivity levels are among the lowest.”

“Wages are 30% lower than Australia and we need a concerted effort to lift pay, and it’s not just about the government lifting the minimum wage.

“This involves ongoing investment in skills, infrastructure and modernising work practices.”

“It involves strengthening the rights for workers to be covered by industry and multi-employer collective agreements.”

“And it involves a lift in the minimum wage to a level that is two-thirds of the average wage. We do not want to see growing wage disparity and indexing the minimum wage to the average wage is an effective way of doing this,” Carol Beaumont said.

Click here to read Carol's speech, click here for the CTU submission to government on the review of the minimum wage
 and click here for the other documents in the CTU political strategy launch