How Do Resorts Do Things Overseas?

Zardnaar

Deity
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
19,920
Location
Dunedin, New Zealand
Story here about Queenstown here in New Zealand.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...sekeeping-jobs-wage-war-looming-in-queenstown

It's a resort town that's essentially priced it's workers out of the town. In previous years they've exploited tourists etc paying holiday makers to work in things like bars.

I have heard that overseas you get free/cheap accomation as part of your job so even if the wages are crap you still afford to live there.

There's also stories of lots of people cramming into a house to keep expenses down and even sharing the same bed with rostered hours.

I guess tourists will do it to save money on holiday and get those photos on their days off.


Queenstown think Swiss mountain lake crossed with LotR type scenary.

During Covid it was the business sector pushing to open the border the government changed the visa rules classifying a skilled job as $27+ ($19 USD) per hour to stop "managers" being brought in on minimum wage ($21.50 NZD).

In NZ there's not that much variation in wages by location except in corporate type jobs. A teacher, nurse, government job and minimum wage are the same in Dunedin, Queenstown or Auckland. Why bother working in Queenstown which is the most expensive part of the country for seasonal work for near minimum wage when you can work at McDonald's? Rent costs double if not more. You might get a few dollars more a week in Auckland but it won't be a lot in blue collar jobs at least.

Scenary doesn't pay the bills. Wages need to be 50% higher minimum or even double. It get real we can just exploit migrants instead!!!

Also suppresses wages I can compare what I got paid in that area in 2000 vs what they get paid now. It's was crap to ok then it's abysmal now.

Of course kiwis "don't want to do those jobs" translation not for the terms and conditions offered. Only way I would consider working there when I was younger is free rent or very cheap rent as it's kinda expensive. A small room or bunks is fine up to a point.

So what's it like overseas? Similar situation or do they just exploit different groups?
 
Last edited:
I have heard that overseas you get free/cheap accomation as part of your job so even if the wages are crap you still afford to live there.
:lmao:

Nope. At least not in the national parks here. Banff can't get workers because there's a shortage of housing, period, never mind affordable housing. They can't build more because of regulations that are very strict about new builds in national parks.

I don't know what these workers make, but I doubt it's too much over minimum wage (currently $15 CAD/hour in Alberta). Of course the people who actually live here don't want the expense of Banff/Canmore, since that's not going to pay the rent, not to mention groceries, car expenses, utilities, etc. There was a news article a few years ago in which one worker said that the only way he'd managed was to camp illegally in the woods, and pretend to be a tourist during his off-hours so he wouldn't be fired and kicked out of the park. Some people are at least half a dozen in the same apartment, and others commute from Calgary.
 
:lmao:

Nope. At least not in the national parks here. Banff can't get workers because there's a shortage of housing, period, never mind affordable housing. They can't build more because of regulations that are very strict about new builds in national parks.

I don't know what these workers make, but I doubt it's too much over minimum wage (currently $15 CAD/hour in Alberta). Of course the people who actually live here don't want the expense of Banff/Canmore, since that's not going to pay the rent, not to mention groceries, car expenses, utilities, etc. There was a news article a few years ago in which one worker said that the only way he'd managed was to camp illegally in the woods, and pretend to be a tourist during his off-hours so he wouldn't be fired and kicked out of the park. Some people are at least half a dozen in the same apartment, and others commute from Calgary.
Think NZ and Canada are similar bin housing shortage.

Other people are complaining about it now but it started here years ago and was an election issue 2017. Priced finally trending down now.
 
Top Bottom