Living Wage for 2018/19 is $21.15

The Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand is excited to announce the Living Wage has increased from $20.55 to $21.15. The new rate will come into effect 1 September 2019.

The Living Wage is defined as the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. A Living Wage will enable workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society.

The Living Wage Movement also welcomes our newest accredited Living Wage Employer, Seashore Cabaret café in Petone. The popular café employs around 50 people, including at their other Living Wage businesses, Good Fortune coffee and Miss Fortune’s café in Lower Hutt.

“This is a major event in the calendar of the Living Wage Movement and for ethical employers, from large corporates like Westpac, to big SMEs like Seashore Cabaret, to many small employers who want to do the right thing,” says Felicia Scherrer, the National Living Wage Accreditation Coordinator.

“The Living Wage makes good business sense. Not only does Living Wage accreditation support a business reputation as an ethical employer, it also means better staff culture, a lift in productivity, and minimising the many costs associated with poverty wages.”

The New Zealand Living Wage rate is identified each year by Charles Waldegrave of the Family Centre’s Social Policy Research Unit and Dr Peter King. This year’s increase of 60 cents is in line with the movement of the average wage.

ENDS

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