Labour to keep lifting worker wages and rights

Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, September 16th, 2023 - 12 comments
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Press release from Labour

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Posted by LabourVoices on September 16, 2023

A re-elected Labour Government will protect hard-fought workers’ rights and keep the momentum on wage growth to lift incomes for all New Zealanders, leader Chris Hipkins announced today.

  • Progressively extend living wage to workers in Education and Health
  • Reduce the gap between the living wage and minimum wage
  • Scrap starting out and training minimum employment rates
  • Modernise employment relations and protect collective bargaining
  • Safeguard Fair Pay Agreements, sick leave, and restrictions on 90-day trials

“We will progressively move workers across health and education onto at least the living wage under a Government I lead,” Chris Hipkins said.

“Our health care assistants, caregivers, and school caretakers all play an important role in delivering our public services and should be better supported to have a decent standard of living.

“We’re investing in our frontline services and people, not cutting them.

“This builds on our delivery of the living wage to workers on contracts for cleaning, catering and security guards across the public service.

“Labour will also ensure the minimum wage is raised every year, closing the gap between the minimum and living wages.

“When Labour came into Government, the living wage was $20.20 per hour – almost five dollars an hour more than the minimum wage. Labour’s increases mean the current minimum wage was less than a dollar lower than the 2022/23 living wage.

“Lifting the minimum wage will support our lowest income earners and see wage growth continue upwards above the minimum wage too,” Chris Hipkins said.

Labour will support young workers to have meaningful and secure employment by repealing the starting out and training rates.

“Current legislation allows our youngest workers and our workers undertaking training to be paid less than the statutory minimum rate, even though they are often doing the same work as their colleagues.

“Only a small number of young people are employed using these lower wages and removing them will help to restore equity in our minimum wage system,” Chris Hipkins said.

“Worker’s rights are under threat this election as Christopher Luxon and David Seymour eye up a smorgasbord of cuts,” Labour Spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety Carmel Sepuloni said.

“Only a Labour government will safeguard fair pay agreements, where applications are currently progressing to improve pay and conditions for bus drivers, hospitality staff, early childhood teachers, port workers, cleaners and security guards.

“We have a proven track record of delivering for Kiwi workers, including increased sick leave, reintroduced meal breaks and increased paid parental leave.

“A re-elected Labour Government will build on worker’s rights by protecting the value of collective bargaining, better defining employees and contractors to protect vulnerable workers, and creating safer workplaces through better workplace violence support and education programmes.

“We are also committed to ensuring more Kiwis have access to training, through successful programmes like Mana in Mahi, Apprenticeship Boost and Flexi-Wage.

“Labour has always been the party that protects and boosts workers’ rights. The choice this election has never been starker as a National ACT coalition line up to cut workers’ rights, while we commit to boosting them,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

More information here (PDF) and here (google drive):

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12 comments on “Labour to keep lifting worker wages and rights ”

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  1. feijoa 1
    16 September 2023 at 8:27 pm

    I have seen comments all over social media about this saying

    'but if you put wages up that makes inflation worse'

    I know some of the arguments against this- like what about CEO wages, what about rent, what about profit? Aren't they more inflationary?

    And if you have low wages, your customers have no money to spend.

    Does anyone have a more succinct argument against this fallacy?

  2. Patricia Bremner 2
    16 September 2023 at 9:21 pm

    "Up the WAHS" as Chris Hipkins said, We should be like them Never give up. Half the time the reporting is half hearted and through a critic, so Labour need to publish widely what will happen to workers under Nat/Act.

    Also it is good to see the progress and promises of more for the workers of NZ.

    A group of Migrants were complaining about the Government, when the bad treatment is often by their own people and employers, and the Government is investigating and supporting.

    Keep going, as some are already beginning to query the arrogance of Luxon and Seymore, and the qualifications of Willis imo. “Trust us” Nat/Act say .. No way!! Trust has to be earned.

  3. Mike the Lefty 3
    17 September 2023 at 8:53 am

    And on the other hand the NACTs want to reduce wages. They want wages down and productivity up, which is another way of saying work harder for less money. Workers who vote for the NACTs are like freeholders voting to become serfs. But a lot of drongos will probably do it anyway, beguiled by the promises of pots of gold at the end of rainbows.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1
      17 September 2023 at 9:09 am

      Workers who vote for the NACTs are like freeholders voting to become serfs

      Tax cut ! Real icecream and..movies !

      Yea…sadly the kind of Nat (and now, ACT voting) "Worker", are some of those who would also like the "punch down" effect. These type also hate…(in no particular order)

      Benes, Maori, Socialists, Greenies,Lefties, etc..you get the picture.

      In my Working life..I have had the misfortune of working alongside these wannabe "punch down artists". Also…in my experience, the laziest and biggest whingers.

      They sure get a shock when fronted. FYI I dont fit the idea of their target. Prob where some of the shock : )

  4. PsyclingLeft.Always 4
    17 September 2023 at 9:30 am

    Having had a reasonable length Working life…I sure remember the Nats.

    Destroying Unions, Employment contracts act. 90 day "trials", Wages barely enough to live on, so many actual Punch Down things they did.

    Labour….made such a difference. Minimum wage for a start. The Apprentice boost….many more as Darien listed just some…

    https://thestandard.org.nz/national-does-a-big-sook/#comment-1967076

    If NAct were in, IMO…none of that would have happened.

    Lets fight to keep NAct out of power !

  5. SPC 5
    17 September 2023 at 10:09 am

    LABOUR vs NATIONAL

    National

    For median workers earning $60,000, there will be a tax cut of up to $50 a fortnight, and for full time minimum-wage workers this will be up to $20 a fortnight.

    A one off $25 a week is all they are offering.

    Labour

    $22.70 per hour

    The adult minimum wage is now $22.70 per hour, effective 1 April 2023. The training and starting-out minimum wages have also increased to $18.16 from the previous rate of $16.96 per hour, which is 80% of the adult minimum wage.

    They are going to continue to lift the MW to the Living Wage level. Then increase at the rate required to keep parity with the Living Wage.

    This would take increases twice that which National would make (and ACT wand a freeze).

    At least 50 cents an hour more – this is worth $20 a week, each and every year, not a one off. And MW increases do impact on higher pay rates coz of relativities and competition for workers.

    FPA

    Industry Awards are going to lift many workers wages to the industry standard. Which could involve a significant increase for some (larger than $25 a week).

    Those preferring National would have to be on wages above the Living Wage and not covered by Industry Awards – FPA. And not in the public service, as National is not going to be able to afford (or be inclined to) increase wages.

    Summary

    It appears the tax offer of National is to deceive voters, and thus protect their business mates from paying higher wages under a returned Labour government.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 5.1
      18 September 2023 at 8:20 am

      It appears the tax offer of National is to deceive voters, and thus protect their business mates from paying higher wages under a returned Labour government.

      IMO thats exactly what it is. Nat Smoke.. and seemingly willingly inhaled by some of the gullible.

      And.. Onya for going to the level of detail you do, in explaining the Economic factors.

  6. Patricia Bremner 6
    17 September 2023 at 10:39 am

    The National Act Parties members and supporters want…

    1. No regulations (so they can exploit.)

    2. No worker rights (so they can exploit)

    3. Negligible climate rules.. guess why!! (so they can exploit).

    They should be known as the Exploitation Party. Users and abusers.

    Selling their usual snake oil of "You can be rich like us."

  7. Obtrectator 7
    17 September 2023 at 9:49 pm

    "At least 50 cents an hour more – this is worth $20 a week, each and every year, not a one off. "

    Hollywood was pointing out something like this nearly 70 years ago:

    "He figured it out. He figured it out. SPC with his 'Pad he figured it out."

  8. SPC 8
    18 September 2023 at 7:30 am

    The graph comparing the 4 nations shows 3 of the same rising pattern and the other is New Zealand. Notice the impact of government policy.

    https://wid.world/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Inequality-in-the-US_World-Inequality-Lab.png

    • In 2019, the US top 10% captures 45% of the national income, close to half of it.
    • Australia and New Zealand remain significantly more equal than their North American counterparts, with the top 10% capturing respectively 35% and 37% of the national income in 2019.
    • In all four countries, we see declining labor compensation (ie wage) as a share of national income, and this decline does not reflect an increase in self-employment. Instead, corporate profits have surged.

    https://wid.world/news-article/whats-new-about-inequality-in-australia-canada-new-zealand-and-the-united-states/

    [image resized]