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An unnamed union critic has accused New Zealand churches of hypocrisy because while they support the their support for the living wage campaign, they are in some cases not paying their own employees a living wage.
Church leaders however say the wages they pay is not something they control. It depends on the Government controlled subsidy for rest homes which is $695 per client, including GST, per week.
We simply don’t get enough money. We are shackled by the Government’s contract,” says Anglican Living director Alison Jephson.
The Living Wage Campaign, launched in February, argues that it costs $18.40 an hour for a worker to “live with dignity” and participate in society. The minimum wage is $13.75 an hour.
According to a Star Sunday Times report, last year the average price paid to aged-care providers for residential care, including dementia care, increased by just 1.08 per cent – a rise so small advocates claim it was a testament to how “grossly underfunded” the sector is.
The majority of the 48,000 workers in New Zealand’s aged-care sector earn $14-$15 an hour.
Source
- The Press
- Image: BlueBird Care
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