Finance Minister needs to get his own house in order before boasting

The Public Service Association (PSA) says Finance Minister Bill English needs to get his own house in order rather than using misleading figures boast about supposed wage increases for all New Zealanders. This follows Mr English’s comments in Parliament that average wages have increased by around $3000 in the last two years.

Richard Wagstaff, PSA National Secretary, said “Mr English is responsible for setting the Budget, which has seen public servants wages go up by only 1.1% in the year to June 2014,”

“Mr English has consistently worked to ensure that public sector salaries remain stagnant, falling further behind the private sector.

“Public servants work hard to run the services that New Zealanders trust and value but they often find their salaries slipping behind the rising cost of living.

“Bill English needs to ensure that next year’s budget includes scope for fair wage rises.

“Thousands of public servants are still struggling to get by, along with thousands more workers whose salaries are funded by Government contracts.

“Mr English needs to get his own house in order to ensure public servants can share in the benefits of wage rises,” said Richard Wagstaff.

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