Workers call out rip-off tourism firms’ low pay
TOURISM businesses with a reputation for low wages and long hours have been put on notice to pay their staff fairly.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) has asked its 1500 members to make the commitment as part of a new sustainability push, but it stopped short of asking them to pay the living wage.
Operators who already are say it makes sense financially and it’s the right thing to do.
Heather Manawatu runs Maori Tours Kaikoura and all 15 of her casual staff are paid at least $25 an hour, well above both the minimum wage ($15.75) and the living wage ($20.20).
‘‘I pay them that because it’s what they need to live on and it means I can sleep at night.’’
Pacific Park Christian Holiday Park at Papamoa Beach introduced the living wage for its 10 staff nearly a year ago.
Manager Kerry Goodger estimates it costs about $30,000 a year and says it helps with plus benefits they already provide, they might scale back some of those.’’
Kirk Hope, chief executive of BusinessNZ, pointed out that the minimum wage has increased each year for a decade. In 2007, it was $11.25. retention. ‘‘If you want good people, you have to pay for them.’’
For park gardener Natasha Bonne, a single mother, the higher pay rate makes her feel appreciated. ‘‘And on the minimum wage, I’d have to spend all my spare time working just to make ends meet.’’
Rachel Brown of the Sustainable Business Network says tourism wants public support and local communities notice when operators doing well out of the visitor boom pay badly.
Young travellers working on Waiheke Island have told Brown they feel ripped off by low pay and zero hours contracts that send them home on slow days.
‘‘When they compare the wages in different parts of the world, New Zealand doesn’t rate well; they’re saying if you are in Australia you are getting better [pay], in Poland it’s better.’’
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts says despite debate about including a living wage pledge in the sustainability project, it was decided it would be a step too far. But he hopes
Small businesses were able to digest incremental increases, he said. ‘‘The question is, how they can manage an increase that is more than incremental.’’
Of the 550,000 businesses in New Zealand, only about 2350 have more than 100 staff. Another