by Web Master
The Living Wage
Doreen Lennox — June 5, 2024
The Living wage is seen as the minimum amount needed to pay for basic expenses with some room for other necessities such as visiting the doctor and buying school uniforms, It is based on the needs of a family consisting of two adults, two children and one and a half incomes.
At present the hourly rate is $26.00 which will rise to $27.80 on September 1st .
The Living Wage movement is a mixture of community groups, faith groups and unions who advocate for employers to pay their employees the Living Wage as opposed to the minimum wage of $23.15 an hour.
Recently a group including members of St John’s Methodist Church in Hamilton East met with the City Council to give verbal submissions on why the Council should become affiliated.
. At present the Council pay the Living Wage but are not affiliated. This means they could stop this payment at any time and revert to a lesser amount.
Two three minute presentations were given. First by the Rev Alisa Lasi who stated amongst other things that when the going gets tough it is always the people at the the bottom of the socio economic scale who suffer the most. She continued we are here to encourage you to make the Living Wage a permanent fixture, this will reflect the care the council has for its people and justice for the less fortunate.
The second presentation was given by eighteen year old Robert Prescott, a worker. Robert had hoped to go to university and study engineering but was forced to leave school and get a job. His family were struggling financially and he felt he had to help support them. He emphasised how important the Living Wage was In. keeping people out of poverty
The council are expected give their decision in July. It is hoped they make a positive one and help families who are finding it hard to survive.
