Mayor Len Brown will propose a "living wage" of $18.40 for all Auckland Council staff at a council meeting today.

The question is whether hard-working parents should be able to earn enough from their wages to give a couple of kids a minimally decent start in life, writes Brian Fallow.

When the dust settles on his sex scandal, Auckland Mayor Len Brown has another delicate task ahead - setting a lower salary for the new boss of the Super City.

I'd like to be able to vote for a political party that would commit to winding back top pay in the public sector to $400,000, writes Tim Hazledine.

KiwiSaver for minimum wage earners, schemes shutting down and KiwiSaver for the self-employed...

Before you decide to support the living wage campaign, consider these three issues.

Higher minimum wages are also sometimes called for here and overseas as a way to introduce a "living wage", writes Kim Campbell.

Finance Minister Bill English has warned hard-won gains that saw the Government's year-end finances come in better than forecast would be wiped out under Labour's "lolly scramble" policies.

Labour MP Andrew Little believes there's widespread support for the living wage campaign, to bump up wages to at least $18.40 an hour.

A "living wage", for Ofa and Ngalu Tauerangi, would mean the chance to get a good night's sleep.

The Key Government's indifference to the plight of the unemployed has been one of the least appealing aspects of its skewed order of priorities, writes Bryan Gould.

The Government should stop giving contracts - and knighthoods - to companies that pay their bosses more than three times their lowest-paid workers.

Principals are getting their salaries topped up by as much as $29,000 for extra work .

The need for builders and carpenters in Auckland and Christchurch is driving a booming national job market, new figures show.

Some essential technology roles in Auckland are seeing big increases in remuneration.

A Dunedin primary school has become the first in New Zealand to pay its entire staff a living wage of at least $18.40 an hour.

More than a third of New Zealanders say they are feeling the financial pinch more than they were two years ago with less disposable income.

Figures showing the average wage for New Zealand workers is more than $70,000, have been slammed as unrealistic and sending the wrong signal to new immigrants.

Hamilton has become the first city council in New Zealand to approve paying all staff a 'living wage', and Auckland and Wellington are considering following suit, a campaigner says.

Foodstuffs says its supermarkets are still deciding whether to adopt the new youth wage, which came into effect today against the backdrop of union opposition.

Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly has criticised unions for taking industrial action over new youth rates which came into effect today.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges ignored advice from Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment to raise the minimum wage to between $13.80 and $13.90 an hour.

The overwhelming majority of Auckland information and communications technology employers are planning to hire new staff this year as new projects are rolled out and customer demand increases, research shows.

Low wages combined with ever increasing demands of the professional era is forcing some players from the sport too early, says NZ netball players' association.

A Henderson tofu maker has become the first Auckland employer to sign up to the living wage campaign, promising to pay its six factory workers at least $18.40 an hour within a year.

Rodney Hide looks at the left's latest cause for businesses to cough up a "living wage".

Forget any notions about rich real estate agents because a survey shows many of them are nearer the breadline than the Bollinger.

During question time Prime Minister John Key was asked about the new minimum wage of $13.75 and calls for a living wage of $18.40 in Parliament today.