BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope said Covid-19 had reduced the earning ability of many firms and now was not the right time for new costs to be loaded on to business. “While New Zealand’s economy is looking better than predicted with [Thursday’s] figures from StatsNZ showing exceptionally strong growth in the last quarter, we should remember that this growth has occurred in the context of a massive fiscal stimulus.
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Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood says the minimum wage increase will mean a pay rise for about 175,500 New Zealanders. “New Zealand is not out of the woods yet on Covid, and we cannot assume this kind of growth will continue, given the continued uncertain global outlook.
Unions: Better resourcing of WorkSafe – a lesson from Whakaari livenews.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from livenews.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Minimum wage rise: 175,000 Kiwis set to get a pay rise of $44 a week from April 1
16 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM
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Minimum wage will increase to $20 an hour on April 1. Photo / 123rf
Political reporter, NZ Herald@AmeliaJWade
Minimum wage will increase to $20 per hour on April 1 with the Government following through on its commitment from last term.
The deadline has been welcomed by the Council of Trade Unions, saying it will help the New Zealander s who are the working poor facing rent increases.
But National s workplace relations spokesman Scott Simpson called the commitment a cynical re-announcement of the last Government s promise designed to draw attention away from the pressure on Speaker Trevor Mallard.
Covid-19 Response – Covid-19 recovery needs to reach all New Zealanders equally – CTU livenews.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from livenews.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
12/17/2020 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/16/2020 16:41
GDP provides a positive signal
The Council of Trade Unions welcomed the return of growth in the New Zealand economy. Statistics New Zealand data released today showed quarterly GDP growth of 14% - breaking the previous six-month decline brought on by COVID-19 and the associated international downturn. On an annual basis GDP declined 2.2%, showing the economy has not yet fully recovered and that further support will be needed to sustain growth. Importantly, GDP per capita showed an increase of 13.8% for the quarter but showed a continued fall of -4.3% on an annual bass - the largest fall on record.