10 October, 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

E tū welcomes swift commitment by Phil Goff to council Living Wage

E tū has welcomed the swift assurance of Auckland’s new Mayor that Auckland Council can easily afford to pay the Living Wage to most of its staff.

But the union says this must also include the many workers employed by contractors to provide council services.

Phil Goff says he can find the estimated $4.1 million dollars to pay the Living Wage to directly employed and CCO staff.

E tū’s Assistant National Secretary, John Ryall says Auckland has elected a Living Wage mayor, and a majority Living Wage council, thanks to a new North Shore councillor.

“This is great news for the staff who will get this extra money,” says John.

“Phil’s commitment is clear, and with majority council support, this is a real win for the many campaigners and voters who supported Living Wage candidates.”

But he says the issue of workers employed by contractors must be dealt with.

“We secured a promise on this at our Living Wage People’s Assembly in Auckland and we’ll be holding Phil to account,” he says.

John says nationally, the results are fantastic, with Living Wage mayors in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – all with supportive councils.

“Voters have selected candidates who prioritise people. It’s great to see this result in our three main cities, as well as some smaller councils, particularly in the wider Wellington region,” he says.

“We’ve got a Living Wage Mayor in Porirua with the election of Mike Tana, and he has the councillors he needs to make this happen. It's the same story in Hutt City.

“We look forward to working with these councils to ensure a Living Wage is paid to all working people who provide council services.”

ENDS

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