Legal challenge to Living Wage a mean-minded waste of money

“The Wellington Chamber of Commerce decision to pursue a judicial review of Wellington City Council’s vote to pay a fair wage to their security workforce is a mean-minded waste of money,” said Living Wage Wellington spokesperson Reverend Brian Dawson today.

“The Chamber seems determined to do everything they can to keep these workers on poverty rates, deny Wellingtonians the right to decide to be a fair city and spend a lot of money on pointless litigation.”

Reverend Dawson said when the Council decided to pay directly-employed workers the Living Wage in 2014, the Chamber of Commerce said the sky would fall in. The same happened when low-paid parking wardens were taken in-house and paid the Living Wage.

“The sky did not fall in when these steps were taken. The same will happen with providing a fair wage for workers employed via contractors,” he said.

“Councillors should be applauded for wanting to provide the best services to the people of Wellington, and not just because it’s the right thing to do. There is plenty of international evidence showing that paying the Living Wage leads to more productive workers, higher morale and lower turnover. As a Wellington resident, these are things I want in our city’s security workforce.”

Reverend Dawson said the Chamber of Commerce would do well to look at the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who was proud to preside over a Living Wage council and a strong advocate for the benefits of paying all the council’s workers, including those employed via contractors, the Living Wage.

“We welcome a closer perusal of the obvious benefits of higher wages. These benefits are made even clearer by international evidence showing the positive impact of the Living Wage for employees, employers and society in general,” he said.

Reverend Dawson said legal advice provided by public law expert Mathew Palmer in 2013 was clear that there is no impediment in New Zealand law to councils paying workers employed by contractors the Living Wage.

ENDS

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