Wellington Regional Candidate Calls for "Maximum Salary" Cap

MANA candidate for Wellington Regional Council, Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati,
would push for a "maximum salary" for Councillors and senior-management staff, as well as a minimum "living-wage" to increase pay for low-paid staff.

Wellington City Council has already resolved in principle to move towards raising its minimum wage to $18.40 per hour, (compared to only $13.75 required by law), and also to require contractors to pay their employees accordingly.

In Auckland, John Minto is calling for the Mayor’s salary would be set at four times the living
wage and the Auckland City CEO’s salary to five times the living wage. "Wellington Councillors should have the same cap on their salaries linking them to the salary of their lowest-paid staff", says Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati. "Implementing a living wage in this way would also provide a model for all other employers who care about our country and our people. It's is about bringing us all together as members of one society, with everyone having a shared interest in lifting wages and salaries for everyone together", she explains.

"We cannot continue this culture of remunerating Councillors, whom we elect to represent us in a spirit of public service and democratic ideals, as if they were board members of commercial corporations, and paying senior Council management as if they were high-flyers running a business for private profit. This is particularly offensive when families are struggling in this era of low wages and no guaranteed hours of work", she says.

Ms Paretutanganui would call for an immediate salary-freeze for all Wellington Councillors until the living wage is fully implemented for all staff, and contractors' employees.

"MANA calls for Councils to show the same leadership throughout Aotearoa, to oppose the corporate culture of greedy, exponential salary increases for senior managers while wages for employees are screwed down to the minimum", concludes Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati.

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