Dunedin City Council has become the second council in the country to become an accredited living wage employer.
The living wage announcement was made today in Dunedin. Photo: 123RF
The announcement was made today in Dunedin where the 2019 list for accredited living wage employers was made.
More than 150 employers are included on the list, which marks who pays the living wage to their employees and contracted workers.
Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand accreditation coordinator Felicia Scherrer said more than 1000 workers would have their lives improved by the council's decision.
"As an Accredited Living Wage Employer, the Council is role modelling what best business practice looks like," she said.
Western Springs College became the first accredited living wage secondary school in the country, while AdviceFirst Limited, and AMP Capital Investors also joined the list.
The living wage rate for 2019 is $21.15 an hour, which is meant to enable workers to pay for the necessities of life and be active citizens in the community.
The first hairdresser, Scout Hair, and first massage therapist, Mai Day Spa, were also marked as accredited living wage employers.
Felicia Scherrer said it was a benchmark for paying and ethical and fair wage.
"The commitment to paying the Living Wage has, for some time, been led by small to medium-sized businesses, who felt strongly that this was the right thing to do," Ms Scherrer said.
"Through their leadership and the success of these businesses, we now have larger organisations and corporations, also committing to paying the Living Wage. They too have realised investing in their workers is an investment in their business."
Wellington City Council became fully accredited last year.