Congratulations and thanks to all the employers already paying their staff a living wage:
Living wage put at $20.20 an hour
Living wage campaigners are encouraging companies to pay a minimum of $20.20 an hour from July. The rate, more than $4 above the adult minimum wage, is at the level needed to provide families with the necessities, they say.
Krissie, a cleaner for The Fresh Desk company in Lower Hutt, is paid the current living wage of $19.80 an hour. She said it had made a huge difference to her life. …
This piece makes an odd argument against the minimum wage:
Living wage rises, amid call to do away with minimum
…
Darryl Evans, chief executive of the Mangere Budgeting Service, said staff who were paid at least the living wage would feel more valued, they were likely to work harder and be more committed so there was less staff turnover. He described it as a win-win for businesses and staff.But he said the minimum wage was a problem. “I strongly believe we need to not have a minimum wage.” … He said it drove employers to pay people that minimum rate, rather than considering what value staff offered the business.
Evans said it was almost impossible for families to survive on that. Many he dealt with had to choose whether they paid rent, petrol, food or other bills because they could not pay for everything.
“We need to drop the minimum wage and pay people what they are worth,” he said. …
I admire Mr Evans’ optimism, but I do not share it. Without a legal minimum wage most employers would pay less, not more. If good employers want to pay more than the minimum right now there is nothing stopping them…
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