Business and consumers will pay the price for Labour’s plan to double minimum sick leave entitlements for workers to 10
days a year and raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour, but it is the right thing to do while we still grapple with the
impacts of Covid-19, says Auckland Business Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett.
“Businesses already struggling financially to build momentum will balance the additional costs with the need to mitigate
the risk of being plunged into a lockdown or having sites and workers quarantined to stall trade if there are localised
flare ups,” he said.
“Looking after workers’ health and wellbeing is the right thing to do while we are still fighting to contain and
eliminate the virus, but business needs to have certainty that they can remain open, have access to targeted financial
support and get on with earning the revenue to pay staff fairly and provide products and services at fair prices.”