Protesting Government immigration policies and staffing concerns they say are being ignored, more than 30 bars and restaurants shut their doors to customers in Rotorua on Monday. Around 50 hospitality staff and business owners took to Eat St, the main dining and hospitality precinct in the tourism centre.
Hospitality NZ Bay of Plenty spokesperson Reg Hennessey said businesses are facing acute staffing shortages and are disappointed that concerns directed to Government have fallen on deaf ears.
“The Prime Minister says New Zealand is open for business, but today our businesses are not.”
He said that at present, most businesses are having to turn away customers due to staffing shortfalls.
“Most of us have debt because of Covid and received little support from Labour except for the wage subsidy, and in return they’re not helping us to trade our way out of the red.”
Hennessey believes Rotorua alone is more than 1000 staff short and that the recent Government announcement of immigration settings for chefs is “too late for the summer and is largely unworkable for most of us.”
“We need urgent action and solutions now before Rotorua businesses are forced to close for good.”
Rotorua National MP Todd McClay also addressed the crowd, describing it as “a dark day for business owners in the town”.
“You have a group of people who have closed their doors today because they don’t believe they’re being listened to by Government.”
He said Immigration Minister, Michael Wood was in Rotorua a week earlier to launch the first New Zealand designed and made electric bus but had not visited or spoken to anyone in the hospitality sector.
