The Tauranga City Council has agreed to pay its workers the living wage

All staff directly employed by the council will be paid at least 20 dollars 55 an hour.

Wellington was the first council to pay the living wage, and movement towards it is being made in Auckland.

By the beginning of the month there were 110 public, non-government and private sector businesses that do so.

Tauranga says during this year's salary review process it was found that 31 positions were paid below that rate - they'll be raised by June next year at an estimated cost of 28-thousand dollars.