Living Wage campaign says real support for raising minimum wage to $15ph higher than 61%.

“The NZ Herald poll this morning that found that 61% of New Zealanders support raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, underestimates the support we are getting from thousands of people every week at our campaign stalls and workplaces” said Living Wage campaign organizer Joe Carolan, today.

“We’re aiming for a referendum on this issue, and if just a fraction of the 61% who support our demand sign our petition by May, we’re confident that we will win it by a landslide- 70 or 80% would probably be closer the mark.

For too long, economics in this country have been dominated by the needs of big business and the wealthy. There’s a groundswell of frustration that we’re tapping into- half a million Kiwi workers are struggling to make ends meet on less than $15ph, and the concept of a Living Wage for those who are working hard 40 hours a week is an idea whose time has come”.

The poll also misses the reason why so many workers are supporting this very specific demand for a $15ph rate-

‘We’re fresh in from collecting another 10,000 plus supporters this week at the Big Day Out, Piha beach and the Parihaka peace festival, and we’re about to cross the 100,000 mark. We’re a modest sized union with some very dedicated activists and volunteers who’ve been putting in a lot of long hours gathering signatures- and we’re sure that these campaign stalls have raised consciousness about raising the minimum wage to $15ph that we see reflected in these polls.

The Unite petition can be downloaded at www.unite.org.nz

The Campaign for a Living Wage, initiated by the Unite Union and supported by community groups, political parties and other unions, including the CTU.

ENDS

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