Pay is a perennial issue: this strike by teachers was in 2019 over a government pay offer. GettyImages May 19, 2021 Wage restraint aims to lift the lowest-earning public servants, but it won’t fix stubborn gender and ethnic pay gaps Claire Breen, University of Waikato Existing gender and ethnic pay gaps in the public service complicate using wage restraint to improve the lot of the lowest paid.
Good intentions, bad reactions: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson. GettyImages May 11, 2021 As the government is learning, a ‘wage freeze’ can come with unintended consequences Laura Meriluoto, University of Canterbury If the proposed public sector wage freeze is aimed at improving the lot of lower paid workers, there are better alternatives the government should consider.
South Africa’s finance minister, Tito Mboweni, ahead of his budget speech. EPA/Nic Bothma February 26, 2020 Budget shows treasury is desperately short of ideas to fix South Africa’s economic woes Seán Mfundza Muller, University of Johannesburg The South African government is hamstrung by the country’s fiscal and economic situation. And short of ideas about how to get out of it.