SkyCity Entertainment Group has announced plans to lift its minimum wage to $20 an hour over the next three years for all its New Zealand workers.
SkyCity chief executive Graeme Stephens Photo: RNZ
The company owns casinos, hotels and conference centres, with facilities in Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown, and also in Australia.
It plans to raise wages for staff on the minimum wage - which is currently $16.50 an hour - by an average of seven percent a year over the next three years.
By 2020, that will mean $20 an hour wages for the lowest-paid staff.
About 1750 of the company's 4000 staff members are on the minimum wage at present.
The company would have been forced to pay its workers that rate regardless, as the new government plans to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2021.
But SkyCity's chief executive Graeme Stephens said he was pleased to be raising wages a year ahead of schedule.
"We know living in New Zealand is expensive, and that the hospitality industry is generally geared to lower wages."
"I'm pleased our plans appear to align with Government policy in this area, and that we are able to achieve this earlier."