NZ politicians plan pay freeze as workers strike

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s lawmakers are planning to take a pay freeze at a time that teachers, nurses and other public workers have been going on strike for more money.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday that politicians would turn down a planned 3% pay raise this year and would freeze their pay for 12 months while they worked out a fairer formula for future raises.

Ardern said there is an increasing gap between what low and middle income New Zealanders earn and what highly paid workers like politicians earn.

“Now this move doesn’t save a lot of money in the scheme of things, but it does send, we believe, a strong signal about what our government values, what we stand for and our determination to make sure the economy is working for everyone,” Ardern said.

The plan still needs to be approved by lawmakers. Ardern said politicians from the ruling coalition had agreed on the measure and that it may also get support from opposition political parties.

Since Ardern’s liberal government came to power last year, thousands of public workers have gone on strike demanding better pay and conditions.

About 30,000 nurses and healthcare workers went on a day-long strike last month, while nearly as many teachers and principals walked off the job for a day this month.

The nurses have since reached an agreement that has ended the threat of further strike action.

Ardern is currently paid NZ$471,000 (RM1.3mil) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is paid NZ$335,000 (RM908,850). The other 118 lawmakers in Parliament are paid between NZ$164,000 and NZ$ 296,000 ( RM444,931 and RM803,046) , depending on their ranks and responsibilities.

By comparison, President Donald Trump is paid US$ 400,000 (RM1.64mil) annually.