Faith bodies sign up to Living Wage Cities Charter

More than 30 society organisations from faith, union and community groups signed on to Living Wage NZ’s plan to make Greater Wellington a region of Living Wage Cities. Among those present at the signing were people from St Joseph’s/St Mary of the Angels and from the Ōtari Parish Justice Peace and Development Group.

The vision is to eliminate in-work poverty and stand with low-paid workers across the cities of Greater Wellington. Work now begins on a two-year implementation plan.

The EJP Commission has been a member of Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand since 2022.

Faith communities that sign up to the charter commit to “lead our assemblies as outspoken guardians and proponents of the ‘common good’ and the ‘just wage’”.

The charter calls on public employers to lead by example and pay the living wage to their lowest-paid, direct and contracted workers. Not-for-profit organisations are called to “honour their values of community and dignity by aspiring to pay all workers at least the living wage”.

The updated living wage rate for 2026-27 will be at least $29.90 per hour, effective from September 2026. The rate is updated annually by the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit, a leading cultural and social policy research agency in Lower Hutt. The level is determined based on movements in the average ordinary hourly earnings from the previous December quarter.

The living wage seeks to ensure that workers and their families can meet basic living costs and participate fully in society with dignity. The methodology is fully reviewed every five years; the last review was in 2023.

The Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Porirua City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council are all living wage employers.

FULL STORY

LIVING WAGE CITIES CHARTER: Members… (Archdiocese of Wellington/Facebook)

Facebook (Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand)

The updated Living Wage rate for 2026-27 (Living Wage NZ)

Living-Wage-Information-for-Suppliers.pdf (Greater Wellington Regional Council)