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Make minimum wage $16 an hour - Greens

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Make minimum wage $16 an hour - Greens

3News NZ

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei

The Greens are raising the minimum wage stakes with a call for it to be increased to $16 an hour.

A Labour Party bill which proposes lifting it from the current $13.50 to $15 an hour is going to be debated in parliament.

The Greens say that's not enough and they've crunched the numbers in the National Business Review's Rich List to back their case.

Co-leader Metiria Turei says the collective wealth of the 151 New Zealanders on the list rose by $7 billion during the last year, or 18 percent.

"The Rich List highlights the growing income inequality in New Zealand," Ms Turei said on Friday.

"While Kiwi families on low wages struggle to get by the wealthiest New Zealanders are doing very well."

Ms Turei says while the rich are getting richer, the Treasury is forecasting wage growth of only 3 percent to 4 percent in the foreseeable future.

"The Government should immediately lift the minimum wage to $16 to bring it into line with the wage growth of those on the Rich List."

Labour's bill isn't likely to get through its first reading because the Government favours gradual increases in the minimum wage, and will almost certainly oppose it.

Finance Minister Bill English wouldn't take a position on the bill on Thursday but says the minimum wage will eventually get to $15 an hour.

"On the current rate of increase under this Government, it will get there in 2015," he said.

NZN

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Comments

13/08/2012 11:51:01 p.m.

Tim wrote:

Was the ripple effect factored in? At a certain point, people will ask "why did they get an increase in wages and we didn't?" Employers will give 'wage boosts' to their staff, increasing the cost of production for their company. Is it just me or will raising the minimum wage affect young students into getting their first job? Would mentality change more towards "I pay more to you, so I expect better quality work?" if the wage increases? May it give an incentive for people to work if it increases $2.50 an hour? Maybe. This would depend on their ability to work, and their willingness to work. Will it help low income earners? Possibly. This really depends on inflation and the world price for goods. In theory, the extra money will help pay for necessities such as food, shelter, basic bills, but with the recent increase in average food prices, who knows!

30/07/2012 9:49:22 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

You need a cheque matt for payment..dalt !

29/07/2012 10:39:14 p.m.

Matt wrote:

A increase of some kind would be apprerciated,i know im getting sick of living pay check to pay check, people are going on about, if the wage is increased, so will everything else like food, GST, blah blah....Well ev erything else has already gone up.....except the wage, it still sits at a disgraceful low rate. i work 47 hours per week, and am lucky to clear $400 a week, after tax and kiwisaver. I agree with the Greens that there needs to be an increase, but maybe $15 would be a good starting point, $16 would get instantly rejected, by our capitalist Friends...!!!

29/07/2012 10:19:17 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

Raise it, and the number of jobs in NZ will go down. More "out of touch madness" from the green pinkos ?!

27/07/2012 11:18:37 p.m.

Wayne wrote:

$15 is a good figure for the current time. Employers could easily adjust down top salaries by 10% to make the difference up. It may even provide extra funds for new job opportunities.

27/07/2012 7:32:10 p.m.

eddie wrote:

ok, the greens want $15 an hr...ok, and unions do too (Unite for example)..labour will too, they hate to be left out...so if NZ Govt make it $15 tomorrow, the greens/unions would cry out for $16...$17..$18?, afterall it's their voter base and minimum wage is a carrot to make them vote/pay extra ..how much will they wish for?

27/07/2012 5:34:54 p.m.

Mike wrote:

The Greens wont be happy till employment hits Greece levels with soup kitchens in the street and a huge chunk of the population homeless!

Oh wait, the Green policies would also not produce enough food in the world to feed more than 2 billion, ie 5 billion to die. Even Hitler didn't try to kill off 5 billion!

NZ has too much tax burden put on too few people. We need more people working. It will be the private sector gets NZ out of financial trouble as it always is. What is needed is for the unemployeed to get off their backsides to work. If you can't find work, become self employeed! Thats one way to beat the political min wage bullshit, and anyone prepared to do this can find work. Of course so many would consider working for less than the minimum wage to hard, hence so many wont go farming as its too much like hard work for the hours involved! But the left will complain about a few good years in farm income, even the price of milk when they are unprepared to work.

Why are farmers asset rich? Its sure not from income! Its from hard work, and long hours, and not spending it all on luxeries like those on welfare tend to do. Take the $1500'ish tax paid by the average farmer in 2009 - it was because they had such huge incomes they paid so little tax. But then Labour had its finance team look into it, and decide that Revenue = Profit! It is stuffed up reasoning like that that has NZ in the current fiancial problems. It was the same Labour/Green people who directed ACC/Kiwisaver to invest in risky investments like Madoff losing $29 billin of NZ funds pre 2008 election. Why sell NZ's assets for money when Labour/Greens will just give our assets away?

27/07/2012 2:08:45 p.m.

john wrote:

40 hours per week for nothing! if NZers used Austrian Economics like the Germans. we would be RICH! Neo-conservatives don't know who they are.

27/07/2012 12:40:39 p.m.

pondering wrote:

In my day ( the 80s) one left school at 15 yrs and earned increasing trainee or apprentice wages for a few years or until you turned 18yr . Then you went onto to trade rates that were usually well above minimum wages. Men (and women) could raise families on one income. Then national govt scrapped all that and started the process of removing all industrial protections for workers that has led to the catastrophe today. The 18yr school leaving age has been an exercise in hiding mass unemployment. In my parents day most 18yr women were starting families after working several years. Now they are kept in perpetual childhood of classroom and dole queue. Any children that may occasionally accidentally come along get whipped off them and rounded up by the state. Where did this all go wrong???

27/07/2012 12:40:34 p.m.

Wiseacre wrote:

It is a National disgrace that people in New Zealand are expected to slave away for 40 hours per week for mere subsistence wages. It needs to be made clear to the public that it is not possible to live on the minimum wage. We effectively have a wage system that is worse than slavery. As a slave you were at least housed and fed. It is not possible to do that on the minimum wage – it needs to be topped up by other taxpayers through various subsidies and handouts. We currently have the perverse situation whereby taxpayers are subsidising employers to pay disgustingly low wages. A person should not have to work themselves to the bone 40 hours a week and still struggle to provide the basics of food and shelter in this day and age.