CHIA sisters become Nelson's first accredited living wage employers

Sunday, 10 June 2018

Chia is Nelson's first accredited living wage employers. Pictured are owners Florence and Chloe Van Dyke.

Nelson-owned drink company CHIA has become the region's first to join the list of accredited living wage employers in New Zealand.

Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand (LWMANZ) accredited CHIA in April, recognising sisters and company owners Chloe and Florence Van Dyke as official living wage employers.

CHIA Founder Chloe Van Dyke said the company was already paying workers the living wage, but joined the list to raise awareness about the movement that tackles poverty and inequality.

At $20.55 per hour, this year's living wage rate is a voluntary $4.05 increase from the current minimum wage at $16.50. The movement aims to help workers afford the necessities of life and still live comfortably.

'I think it's really important to pay people fairly and I don't think minimum wage achieves that,' Van Dyke said. 'The living wage is what people need to be an active citizen in community.'

Van Dyke said the decision to offer ethical pay was just as rewarding for the company as it was for workers.

'By looking after your employees, you get so much back' Van Dyke said.

Van Dyke thought many Nelson employers might meet the requirements of paying the living wage without knowing it.

'Most companies don't realise they're paying the living wage,' she said. 'All it means is paying employees $20.55 an hour.'

LWMANZ convenor Annie Newman said CHIA's accreditation was 'wonderful'.

'It's very exciting, what you start to see is ethical businesses who look out for competition with people doing the right thing,' Newman said.

'Employers can have a brand and as a result workers feel really appreciated, reports show it actually builds better relationships.'

LWMANZ started in 2012, with 10 employers signed. In the early stages it processed three or four applications every few months, but it now processes six to eight every month.

It recently accredited its 100th employer, the Otago Chocolate Company.

The ultimate goal is to normalise the living wage. Newman said it had been a long and slow process, but as more employers came forward others followed suit.