Maritime Union backs plans for minimum wage referendum

The Mari­time Uni­on is back­ing moves for a ref­er­en­dum on boost­ing the min­im­um wage.

Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and spokes­per­son Vic­tor Bil­lot says the Uni­on has offered its sup­port for the pro­posed ref­er­en­dum put for­ward by the Unite Uni­on.

The Unite Uni­on have sub­mit­ted a request to the Clerk of the House for the right to peti­tion for a ref­er­en­dum on rais­ing the min­im­um wage to two-thirds of the aver­age wage.

The pro­posed word­ing would read “Should the min­im­um wage be raised to $15 an hour and then in steps over the next three years until it reaches two-thirds of the aver­age ordin­ary time hourly rate as recom­men­ded by the 1973 Roy­al Com­mis­sion into Social Secur­ity and the Inter­na­tion­al Labour Organ­isa­tion?”

Mr Bil­lot says the prob­lems of low wage work and cas­u­al­iz­a­tion were ser­i­ous prob­lems for New Zea­l­and and needed to be sor­ted out.

He says the spiralling costs of basic goods such as food and hous­ing were put­ting many work­ing fam­il­ies under immense pres­sure.

“We are basic­ally look­ing at a sub­stan­tial num­ber of low waged work­ers in New Zea­l­and doing neces­sary work, and con­trib­ut­ing to soci­ety, who are being exploited and used to prop up the eco­nomy for the bene­fit of employ­ers.”

Mr Bil­lot says the pro­posed ref­er­en­dum would attract a groundswell of sup­port from work­ers.

“People are sick of see­ing a small elite enrich them­selves while oth­ers have to struggle with poverty wages.”