The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) joins many others welcoming the passing of the Fair Pay Agreement Bill.
NZCCSS’s Nikki Hurst says the bill will mean a real chance for adequate pay for workers, going a long way to addressing decades of underpayment. ‘Every day NZCCSS’s 230 members see the impact low rates of pay cause in families, and on people’s wellbeing.’
While the Fair Pay Agreement process outlined will apply to all, NZCCSS is heartened at the clear commitment to begin with some of New Zealand’s lowest paid, most undervalued workforces – cleaners, supermarket workers, hospitality and others.
‘These workforces have been persistently trapped in a race-to-the-bottom, low-wage environment since 1991, most subsisting on the lowest bar legally possible – the minimum wage.
‘We’re encouraged the Government is acknowledging the role of workers in the economy. There is a clear reason why Australia holds an enduring attraction economically for New Zealand workers – far higher rates of pay for the same work, resulting from a strong, legislatively empowered workforce.
‘Fair pay agreements have the potential to create real change and equity for our national workforce.’