Minimum wage Archive

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  Dodging Roger’s Bill

  
  
  
  Yesterday the National Party shot down Sir Roger Douglas’ dreams of returning New Zealand back to Victorian England by saying they will not support his Members’ Bill which would have re-introduced youth rates. It’s a rare piece of good news out of the Beehive, but let’s face it; the bill was a stupid idea to begin [...] read more
  March 18, 2010 12:51 pm - 12 Comments
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  Economics is not as certain as some people make out – the minimum wage

  
  
  
  In economics theories come into fashion, wane, get tossed onto the junk heap and sometimes dusted off and given another run around the block. For example, the minimum wage: A common claim is that wages are like any other price and as such obey the economic laws that govern supply and demand. Therefore, [...] read more
  February 25, 2010 5:34 pm - 22 Comments
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  Members’ Bills – the good, the bad, and the ugly

  
  
  
  There were three Members’ Bills drawn from the ballot today. The good Bill is Green MP David Clendon’s Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill.  It gives effect to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s recommendations to ensure all electricity meters have functionality that enables them to automatically control loads and to talk to smart appliances. It will [...] read more
  February 23, 2010 3:17 pm - 28 Comments
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  A mean and silly decision on the minimum wage

  
  
  
  The Government, in raising the minimum wage by a paltry 25 cents an hour, seems hell-bent on maintaining massive state subsidisation of low wages. Isn’t it time employers, who profit from the work done, contribute a greater share? read more
  January 28, 2010 8:03 am - 72 Comments
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  The minimum wage

  
  
  
  The Government has announced a paltry increase in the minimum wage to $12.75 an hour – barely keeping up with inflation. Wouldn’t it be great if the minimum wage were indexed to the average wage, rather than subject to the political whim of the government of the day and the respective lobbying influences of the protagonists in the debate? That would give low income workers security they would at least maintain relativity with those who earn more. read more
  January 18, 2010 1:48 pm - 174 Comments
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  Nick Smith: I don’t know and I don’t care

  
  
  
  Nick Smith doesn’t know the most basic statistical information necessary to determine the likely extent of cost containment or the impact on claimants of going back to the 1999 work capacity policy. What’s more, he’s not even prepared to have ACC do the analysis to find out. What a shambles! read more
  December 3, 2009 9:59 am - 2 Comments
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  ACC cuts put home care workers below minimum wage

  
  
  
  It is not just the caregivers who will suffer from this policy. Injured people who live in isolated areas are likely to find it increasingly difficult to find any caregiver prepared to travel to their home to provide the home help or attendant care they need. But do ACC care? Seems not. read more
  November 10, 2009 3:13 pm - 9 Comments
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  Government tells those on minimum wage to tread water

  
  
  
  Very conveniently, at 4pm on the eve of parliament re-convening, the government has tried to quietly announce that they will raise the minimum wage by 50 cents, in line with inflation. It’s not good enough, given that the current minimum wage is not a living wage. Our lowest paid citizens, already up to their gunwales [...] read more
  February 9, 2009 4:48 pm - 104 Comments
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  Lowest paid should not be expected to bear the cost of recession

  
  
  
  Rumours are growing in Wellington that National will not increase the minimum wage this year. A Government announcement is expected on or before 9 February. Intimations that Kate Wilkinson, the new Minister of Labour, will recommend a nil minimum wage increase to Cabinet have hit the blogosphere despite her own Department supporting a rise from $12.00 to [...] read more
  January 27, 2009 1:57 pm - 105 Comments
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  Being productive on the minimum wage

  
  
  
  The Employers and Manufacturers Association rather unsurprisingly came out criticising the Greens campaign for a $15 an hour minimum wage. The part of their argument that I found the most incongruent was their claim on National Radio this morning that “employees should be paid according to their productivity”. I would have thought that in [...] read more
  October 20, 2008 10:14 am - 39 Comments