Do you think that the min wage sould go up?
Aaron
Candidate Answers
Candidate
Answer
Dear Aaron,
In reply to the question 'do you think that the minimum wage should go up?'
The minimum wage applies to all workers aged 16 years or older. Holiday pay must be paid in addition to the minimum wage. The new entrants minimum wage and the training minimum wage are $10.20 an hour. The adult minimum wage is $12.75 an hour.
An employee being paid less than the minimum wage can complain to a Labour Inspector, who may investigate and act to recover any money owed. An employee is faced with one problem though, if the employeer is taken to the employment court, your details are registered. Employeers often use the information as a pre-employment screening tool. To quote one employer, "if they are on the list, they are nothing but trouble."
To those employers who think the minimum wage is acceptable, would you like to live or raise a family on this? The decision to raise the minimum wage is for the central goverment. These elections will be held in the new year. I think the minimum wage should be no less than $15.00 per hour after tax.
Regards,
Robert Curtis
West Ward candidate for Hamilton
Awaiting response
Hi Aaron,
Providing higher wages to low paid workers stimulates the economy, which is only just emerging from recession. It also benefits thousands of workers and their families, and many more are on low wages which are influenced by the minimum wage. It is untrue that increases in the minimum wage cost jobs. Much higher increases in the minimum wage in recent years have occurred while employment was maintained at record high levels.
People working on the minimum wage are already struggling as the Government itself has publicly acknowledged. To set an increase at the absolute minimum will increase their difficulties in the coming years. I think that the minimum wage should be two thirds of the average wage and should rise to $15.
Robin Fletcher
Hi Aaron
This is a Central Government question and not one for local body politics but personally yes I do think it should go from $12.75 for the adult hourly rate.
Thanks for the question,
Angela
Awaiting response
Yes in line with other wage movements.
Dear Aaron
Thanks for the question. The issue re min wage is really an area for central Government, but my personal view is yes it would be ideal for the minimum wage to be increased to $15 per hour by 2012. the 100,000 workers who are on min wage must be able to make ends meet but it is also important to make sure that employers are able to meet the higher wage bill and during this economic down turn an immediate increase could threatening some peoples job. My thought would be an increase by $1 per hour for 2011 and then a further increase of a $1.25 per hour in 2012.
This would increase buy-in from staff, especially for entry level and is a way of retaining staff as they will feel valued. Also the minimum wage needs to encourage people to get off the dole!
Of course \"it\'s about the balance\" between employee expectations and employers ability to pay. (A good hr person would have wage structure where wage is equitable across the board... no huge leap between minimum wage and highest wage paid out)
The last years prior to the big R saw employers paying to some extent excessive wages just to get people to work or retain staff, as they could not meet the demands for their product. This created an inflated view of wages. However as CPI has grown there is a need for salary/wages to grow as well.
Just some thoughts
Kind regards
Ewan
