The New Zealand government has said it wants to raise the minimum wage to $12.00 per hour by the end of 2008 if “economic conditions permit.” But 2008 is too late for low paid and minimum wage workers - we are already in the midst of a low wage crisis despite recent growth in the economy and record corporate profits.

Unite Union and the SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign is calling for an immediate minimum wage rise to $12.00 NOW, the abolition of youth rates, secure hours and other minimum entitlements.

Tens of thousands of workers live on the current minimum wage of $9.50 an hour for those 18 and older and $7.60 an hour for 16 and 17 year olds. There is no minimum wage for those 15 and under. Compare that to Australia where the minimum wage is $NZ13.85, 46% higher than NZ.

Despite once having one of the highest standards of living in OECD countries, we now have one of the highest rates of low pay, child poverty and income inequality

• Real wages dropped in New Zealand by 6.5% between 1980-2001 whilst they rose by 28.8% in Australia, 39.5% in Canada, 59.9% in UK and 68.2% Finland.

• During the same two decades corporate profits went from 34% of GDP to 46%. Wages as a share of GDP fell from 57% 42%.

• Australian average wages are 30% higher than NZ now when they were the same as NZ 20 years ago

Poverty-wages are increasing the gap between rich and poor and increasing other social inequalities. The majority of low paid and minimum wage workers are women, Maori, pacific islanders, disabled, youth, students and new migrants.

The minimum wage is now the most important determining factor for low paid workers. Raising the minimum wage to $12 NOW, removing youth rates, giving secure hours and other minimum entitlements would be the first step towards reclaiming what entitlements workers have lost and alleviating poverty and inequality

Building a community-wide solidarity campaign around the fast food industry can win a contract for these demands and build the confidence of low paid and minimum wage workers and be a first step toward winning $12 minimum wage for all New Zealanders.

You can join the SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign and help make this a reality at www.SuperSizeMyPay.Com .