OFWs in New Zealand to benefit from minimum wage hike

Filipinos working in New Zealand will receive an increase in their monthly pay after the New Zealand government hiked the minimum wage of its workers, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Canberra, Australia.
In his report to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, Labor Attaché Rodolfo Sabulao said the wage increase of NZ$.50 will take effect this month. The adjustment would hike the hourly minimum wage from NZ$15.25 to NZ$15.75, or P17.51 per hour.
The new minimum wage applies to all hours worked regardless of the workers' status in New Zealand, Sabulao said, citing the Workplace Relations and Safety Ministry announcement.

An employee who works for only two hours is still entitled to wage increase for every hour worked, unless the worker and employer have agreed to a higher rate in the employment agreement, the ministry said.

Sabulao also reported the hike in the starting-out and training minimum wage rates from NZ$12.20 to NZ$12.60 per hour, which is still 80 percent of the minimum wage.

Under the New Zealand’s minimum wage, starting-out applies to workers who are 16- and 17-year-old employees who have not done six months of continuous employment service with their current employer.

Also included are 18- and 19-year-old employees who have been paid with one or more social security benefits for six months or more, and who have not completed six months’ continuous employment with an employer since they started being paid a benefit.

The training minimum wage, on the other hand, applies to employees aged 20 years or over whose employment agreement states that they have to do at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme to become qualified in the area they are working in.
According to POLO-Australia, whose jurisdiction includes NZ, there are 44,385 Filipinos in New Zealand, majority of them permanent migrants or those who have become permanent residents or have acquired New Zealand citizenship. —KBK, GMA News

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