Wellington is being asked to get behind the Living Wage, right across the region, and E tū has signed up to help make it happen.
The Wellington Living Wage Member Organisations Council has launched the Living Wage Cities Charter. It calls on everyone in the region to back the Living Wage, from city and regional councils to small businesses and community groups. The idea is for a whole region to move together, so the cleaners, security guards, caterers, and other workers who keep the city running are paid a wage they can actually live on.
Malia Motusaga represented E tū’s cleaning members at the launch, and spoke about the huge difference the Living Wage made for her.
“Before our movement won the Living Wage for government cleaners, I was doing 150 hours a fortnight just to cover the bare basics and support my family,” Malia said.
“What this meant for me was that I would start work at 6.00 am, finish at 2.00 pm, have a brief one-hour break, and then work again from 3.00 pm until midnight. I did this five days a week and also worked day shifts over the weekend.
“Earning the Living Wage changed this. I got my time back. I could work fewer hours, spend time with my family, and finally have a bit of space to breathe between shifts. I had a life again.”
The Living Wage rose to $29.90 an hour on 1 April this year, with accredited Living Wage Employers having until 1 September to put the new rate in place. It is based on the real cost of food, rent, power, and getting to work, and it sits well above the minimum wage. For a low-paid worker, that gap is the difference between just getting by and having a bit of breathing room.
The Charter is about Wellington saying it will not wait for the Government to do the right thing. E tū is proud to put its name to it. Many of our members are exactly the workers the Living Wage is there for, and they have led this fight for years.
Put the Living Wage to the parties
The Living Wage is shaping up as a big issue at the general election. To put it on the agenda, the Living Wage Movement is hosting an election forum, asking the political parties where they stand and what they will commit to. Come along, bring your workmates, and hear what the parties have to say.
- What: Living Wage election forum
- When: 6pm, Wednesday 2 September
- Where: Naenae College