Workers who have been running managed isolation (MIQ) facilities for two years fear their wages could be about to drop, if their hotels return to regular operations.
(File image) Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
With the MIQ system set to be downsized, Hotel Council Aotearoa also worries there will soon be far too many regular hotel rooms available around the country - and far too few tourists filling them.
Following yesterday's border reopening announcement, Unite Union, which represents hospitality workers in MIQ hotels, is waiting to find out how many of the 33 facilities will remain as they are and how many will be decommissioned.
For the hotels that reopen to the public, Unite Union national secretary John Crocker said staff would likely be able to keep their jobs.
However, he said wages were "on everyone's minds."
"These workers are on the living wage because they're contracted to the government currently. When those contracts end, we've got indications from some hotel operators that they will be cutting wages," he said.
Crocker said the union was bargaining with those operators now - and it would not hesitate to undertake industrial action to secure a living wage.
"All workers deserve a living wage and these workers are used to it. After all they've done for the country to cut their wages is very unjust, in our view."
On the flipside, hoteliers say they are struggling with an uncertain outlook.
They also have no confirmation how many MIQ hotels will remain, although the government has indicated it could even construct purpose-built MIQ hotels, and do away with the ones currently in operation.
Meanwhile, the border reopening plan includes a requirement for visitors to self-isolate, for the foreseeable future.
Hotel Council strategic director James Doolan said that potentially meant lots of former MIQ hotel rooms returning to the market, with few people booking them.
"MIQ has undoubtedly supported those hotels and properties because non-MIQ hotels have only been one-third full. The problem is, those hotels are going to leave the system, but we aren't going to have any foreigners or business people in New Zealand to take up the slack."
While self-isolation might be a deterrent to travellers, Doolan did not expect that the fear of lingering Covid-19 will put people off staying in former MIQ hotels.
That was echoed by aerosol chemist Joel Rindelaub from the University of Auckland, who said a "good, traditional" deep clean would do the trick.
"Covid most certainly will not be sticking around from former occupants. In fact, some of these hotels actually will probably have upgrades in ventilation which might make them better options, compared with others," he said.
The government said more details on how many MIQ facilities would be phased out would become clearer over the next few months.