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“I used all my sick leave for my kids when they got sick,” he says.
Motusaga says she would stay home if she had COVID-19 symptoms, but that would mean missing out on a payment her family cannot afford.
“I need the money. To pay the rent, put food on the table,” he says. “I need more days.”
The work promises just that.
“To increase sick leave, the minimum right to sick leave from five to 10 days,” says Andrew Little, Labor relations spokesman for Labor.
He says COVID-19 is highlighting the need for a surge.
“There are a lot of workers who, if it weren’t for wage subsidies and leave support subsidies, would not have been able to take the time either for their health or for the health of their families,” he says.
Richard Wagstaff, chairman of the Council of Trade Unions, says “it’s not just a COVID problem.”
“It’s a problem every year when you have the flu, when there are other critters.”
The Council of Trade Unions admits that many workers already have more than five days of paid sick leave. But he cautions that employees who have minimum sick days often receive minimum wage as well.
Labor promises to address that by raising the minimum wage to $ 20 an hour.
Business New Zealand says both promises are too much pressure on employers.
“There will be some small businesses and larger businesses that just can’t afford it due to the circumstances they are facing due to COVID,” says Kirk Hope of BusinessNZ.
National Party leader Judith Collins agrees.
“I think the government is very clearly asking other people to pay for their promises.”
But Labor says it is aware that companies are struggling.
“We will keep an eye on the pressure companies have been under, but we don’t want to lose momentum,” says Little.
For Motusaga, more sick days mean less stress when caring for her children.
