Campaign for a Living Wage

Unite union delegate Esther Ma’ake collected 130 names for a petition calling for a referendum to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour and then increase it over three years to 66% of average earnings.

She says it is important that all union members help this campaign “because it really does affect all of us; if I wasn’t personally on the minimum wage, a sister, a friend, a child or a neighbor would be. It’s not right for anyone to live like that.”

If 300,000 signatures are collected by May 2010 then a referendum will be called and every voter will be able to vote to increase the minimum wage to a living wage.

NDU backs the campaign

Last year over 300 members of the NDU put their hand up to be Election Champions.  The NDU is re-launching its Champions campaign under the new Fairness @ Work Champions banner, to help gather signatures on the Unite petition.

Anyone can be a Fairness @ Work Champion. It isn’t a difficult job - it’s a fun thing each month to make sure union members have a say on the issues in politics.

Fairness @ Work Champions get a monthly mailout, with details of their next mission, and poster, leaflets and other resources.  Sound like you?  Contact Campaigns Officer Sam Huggard today - contact details below.

Download the petition now!

You can download a PDF copy of petition here (240kb).  Or NDU members can ring NDU Member Support Centre (0800 438 638) to have some posted to you.

When you’ve collected them, freepost them back to the NDU, and we’ll send all NDU petition sheets to Unite in one go.  Details on the petition sheets.

Keep in touch with the Campaign for a Living Wage

You can subscribe to Unite Union's email newsletter here for the latest on the petition campaign.

More information

For more information on the NDU's campaign to support the Unite petition, contact NDU Campaigns Officer Sam Huggard on sam.huggard@ndu.org.nz, text 021-462-148 or phone (04) 803-1191.