Living wage pay rise for Countdown staff

Countdown Church Corner duty supervisor Michelle McKenzie says a pay rise negotiated between the supermarket chain and the workers’ union will make a big difference in her life.

The First Union deal, affecting 15,000 workers, including non-union members, around the country means anyone who has worked for the chain for 12 months or more will earn at least the living wage of $21.15, from September next year.

The union said many of those workers were currently earning the minimum wage of $17.70. Countdown has about 18,000 staff in total.

McKenzie, who has four children, said it would mean her family could start to do things such as go to the movies or out for dinner. ‘‘A wage rise like this means we can spend less time worrying about making ends meet at home, making us less stressed at work and feeling more secure about our futures,’’ she said.

‘‘In my life, it is huge. I have four older kids, and as a family we can start to do more of the things together that we have sometimes missed out on in the past – two or three dollars an hour is a really big deal when it comes to living a good life and

Countdown duty supervisor

spending time with your family.’’

‘‘It is a common myth that supermarket jobs aren’t careers – in my experience, plenty of colleagues have put 30 or more years of their lives into their jobs, and this agreement means a lot to them in terms of recognising their long service and the benefits of a career in retail.’’

She said most staff were thrilled by the deal, although some thought the pay rise should happen more quickly.

First Union secretary for retail, finance and commerce Tali Williams said it was significant. ‘‘Supermarket workers are some of the lowest-paid in the country.’’

She said it showed supermarkets could afford to pay people more than the minimum wage.

It was a growing sector, with an increasing number of jobs, and those people should be paid properly, she said.

First Union also represents workers at Foodstuffs but Williams said because those supermarkets were individually owned, it was harder to strike a pay deal.

Countdown’s general manager of operations, Brett Ashley, said the agreement reflected the company’s genuine desire to provide more income for its team.

‘‘We are proud to be a good employer and ensuring our team can continue to grow their earning ability is a key part of this.

‘‘We have worked hard with First Union to develop a fair path to more income for our team while also balancing the realities of keeping and creating jobs, and keeping food prices affordable for New Zealanders.

‘‘We would like to thank First Union members and our team for working with us to achieve such a positive agreement for our team.

‘‘We are proud of the number of team initiatives we have introduced over the past few years, and ensuring we offer a range of career opportunities and benefits so our team want to continue their careers with Countdown is a high priority for us,’’ Ashley said.

‘‘A wage rise like this means we can spend less time worrying about making ends meet at home, making us less stressed at work and feeling more secure about our futures.’’ Michelle McKenzie