Fairness Approach Welcomed

“The government’s broad economic agenda around skills, infrastructure and productivity, underpinned by a commitment to fairness, is a welcome signal,” CTU president Helen Kelly said today.

“In particular, the Finance Minister’s remarks today about the need to drive “faster increases” in wages recognises more can be done to lift wage rates.”

“An explicit recognition from government that higher wages needs to play a core part of the economic agenda is good. Unions are working hard to lift New Zealand workers’ wages and make some headway into the wage gap with Australia, and we agree that business needs to pick up the challenge also.”

“It is good to see government begin to outline some of the rationale behind tax cuts, and to confirm public services will not be cut, but we agree that closing the wage gap with Australia is about much more than cutting taxes.”