Announced today:
Backing fair pay and conditions
After nine years of National, working people’s share of the economy is falling. Less than 40 per cent of economic growth under National has gone into working people’s wages. If working people’s slice of the economy hadn’t shrunk under National, workers’ pay packets would have been $23 billion larger.
When 40 per cent of children in poverty live in a working household and two-thirds of workers’ pay fell in real terms last year, despite the economy growing, working people are not sharing in economic prosperity.
The problem is set to continue. The Budget forecasts no real growth in the average wage in 2017 or in two of the next four years.
Weak employment law has created avenues for some businesses to undercut good employers by driving down wages and minimising costs.
Labour’s workplace relations package includes:
• Increasing the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour.
• Replacing the current National Government’s ‘fire at will’ law with fair trial periods that provide both protection against unjustified dismissal and a simple, fair, and fast referee service.
• Introducing Fair Pay Agreements that set fair, basic employment conditions across an industry based on the employment standards that apply in that industry.
• Promoting the Living Wage by paying it to all workers in the core public service, and extending it to contractors over time.
• Doubling the number of Labour Inspectors.
See the manifesto chapter for a full list of initiatives. …
Vernon Small on Stuff:
Labour plans to lift minimum wage with new employment relations package
Labour is promising to boost incomes and stop a race to the bottom by bad employers with an employment relations package that includes a move to base industry employment standards.
Announcing the policy on Thursday, leader Andrew Little said the aim was to prevent “a race to the bottom” seen in some industries where good employers are undercut by bad employers trying to drive down wages.
“Labour’s sensible changes will help boost incomes and support employers who offer good pay and conditions. It’s the right thing to do after nine years of a government that has put profits ahead of a fair return for working people,” Little said.
Key changes proposed by Labour include a lift in the minimum wage from $15.75 to $16.50. It would base future rises on the cost of living for people on low incomes. …
Good work Labour – A clear choice for workers.
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