WCC To Pay Living Wage for Some, Before Consulting
MEDIA RELEASE
WCC To Pay Living Wage for Some, Before Consulting Those Who Will Pay for It
11 DECEMBER 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
The Taxpayers’ Union is furious that Wellington City Councillors today elected to pay a ‘living wage’ from 1 January 2014, before ratepayers will have any chance to submit on the proposal.
“It is shameful that for political reasons Wellington Council will be charging ratepayers, including those living in poverty, more to pay inflated wages for some,” says Executive Director, Jordan Williams.
Wellington City Council ignored the publicly available advice of Treasury that a ‘living wage is not well targeted at the intended demographic of low-income families’.
“Choosing to pay someone more than is necessary for him or her to do the job does not alleviate poverty when the people paying for it include those struggling on the minimum wage.”
“We all support higher wages, but the Council taxing more to pay inflated wages for some, does not make Wellington better off.”
“As the Treasury analysis shows, a living wage policy is one of the worst ways to relieve poverty.”
Wellington City will be the first to implement a living wage.
ENDS