12 July 2013

Action Needed on Living Wage

Manurewa Local Board Member Hon. George Hawkins wants to see Auckland Council take urgent action to implement a living wage policy for all its council employees.

Last week the Manurewa Local Board voted to support a notice of motion put forward by Mr Hawkins which called for this policy.

"Wellington City Council and Hamilton City Council have both already taken steps to adress this issues." Says Mr Hawkins, the former MP for Manurewa for 21 years.

"It is time for Auckland Council to follow suit and put in place policy which ensures that council employees are paid a living wage, a wage which means they can afford to live in Auckland where the cost of living is already so high.

"We hear a lot about child poverty in the media, but we don't hear much about family poverty. Manurewa has a large number of families who are struggling to get by, and Auckland Council should be taking the lead to show that Auckland Council has a heart." Mr Hawkins says.

Manurewa Local Board Member Angela Cunningham-Marino said this was about Auckland Council being an example to other employers.

"Auckland Council has a responsibility to pay its employees adequately for the work that they do. Many Auckland Council employees work might not be seen, such as the cleaners or security staff, but their work is crucial to the running of the organisation and they deserve to be paid adequately for the work they do." Says Ms Cunningham-Marino.

"$18.40 is not a huge wage to be paying our employees, but it is a start and represents the cost of living in Auckland and will help lift families out of poverty." Ms Cunningham-Marino says.

ENDS

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