Ratepayers to Fund Minimum Wage for Contractors

Geoff from Rototuna North

www.stuff.co.nz...
Hamilton City Council is to extend the minimum wage of $20 per hour to all staff employed by the organisation’s contractors. The cost is unknown but the best guess is between $258,000 to $859,000 per year to be funded through rates or through debt.
www.legislation.govt.nz...

Section 10 of Local Government Act details the purpose of local government is—
• to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and
• to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.
How is the living wage (above the Government’s) most cost effective for households and businesses?
and
How is it on behalf of communities?
Good-quality, of the performance of regulatory functions, means infrastructure, services, and performance that are—
• efficient;
• effective; and
• appropriate to present and anticipated future circumstances.
How is the living wage to contractors efficient, effective and appropriate for the ratepayer particularly in these austere and worrying times?
Those who voted for this lose sight of representative responsibility and fail to represent the residents and ratepayers who took the effort to vote and in fact all of Hamilton residents.
Some contractors do not contact solely to Council, their employees also work at other locations for other contracts.
How is this to be policed?
Oh that’s right it is only other people’s money – watch out for the spend-up on ‘nice to haves’ during the annual plan.
Buckle up it is going to be a rough ride, particularly in these austere and worrying times.