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Wage gap with Oz increases under John Key
Wage gap with Oz increases under John Key
John Key’s promise to close the wage gap with Australia has failed utterly with the gap rising by $70 to over $190 a week, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
“It is remarkable that National should attack Labour’s planned minimum wage increase at the same time as having to admit that the wage gap with Australia has widened under its watch, using National’s methodology.
“This is despite the fact that Australia’s minimum wage is $18.70, or $20.55 in New Zealand dollars, far higher than Labour’s proposed $16.25.
“Closing the wage gap is yet another election promise that National has failed to deliver to New Zealanders.
“Last year almost half of all New Zealand workers didn’t get an increase in their pay rate. Wages are barely keeping up with inflation so most hard-working Kiwis simply aren’t getting ahead under National.
“Labour has already announced its Economic Upgrade programme to create a high-skill high-wage New Zealand by creating jobs and reducing employment to 4 per cent by the end of our first term.
“Our ‘fair day’s pay for a fair days work’ promise will lift the minimum wage by $2 to $16.25. It’s the right thing to do,” David Parker says.
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