The University of Otago is facing calls to pay its cleaners the living wage after it emerged they are not, despite vice-chancellor Grant Robertson once saying he was “moved to tears” when cleaners at his last job secured it. The university is negotiating its contracts with its cleaners. The Otago Daily Times approached Mr Robertson, but he did not respond directly to questions. Instead, a spokeswoman said the university was not able to comment specifically about employment matters while collective bargaining was under way. “We remain committed to engaging constructively and in good faith throughout the bargaining process,” she said. The living wage, an initiative endorsed by most of the major unions, is calculated by the New Zealand Family Centre Social Policy Unit and based on workers’ expenses such as food, transportation, housing and childcare. The unit sets the living wage about $29.90 per hour presently, compared to the mandated minimum wage of $23.95 per hour or $19.16 per hour for under-16s. A university cleaner, who has worked in the halls of residence for more than 25 years, said she earned about $26 per hour. Her wages had increased by about $10 an hour over the past 15 years. Being paid the living wage would allow her family to make ends meet. “What’s kept me here all these years is the students. “I get to know them and I take pride in keeping their home clean and comfortable during what is often their first time away from home. “They appreciate what I do.” She was getting closer to retirement age, which was “daunting” with “the cost of living so high”. “Most importantly, it would mean it’s not only the students who value my work. “It would show that the university recognises my contribution too.” All cleaning contracts were renewed with a start date of January 1, 2026 and expire December 31, 2027, although renewals may be possible within the terms of the agreements. Information released under the Official Information Act and supplied to the Otago Daily Times showed of the 4000 fulltime equivalent workers directly employed by Otago University, more than 1640 were paid less than the living wage. The key groups affected are contracted cleaners, tutor demonstrators and catering workers in the halls of residence. Cleaners at the university are largely contracted. Living Wage Movement community leader Finn Cordwell said they would present an open letter to Mr Robertson on Thursday, calling for the university to become a “living wage accredited employer”. Some university academic staff also supported the initiative, including faculty of law Prof Andrew Geddis, who said in the open letter it was about “respect and dignity”. “Those who must work for a living deserve to be able to do at least just that — live off the work that they do.” Mr Robertson is a former finance minister. In his valedictory speech to parliament in 2023, he praised the Labour government for finally paying the living wage to parliamentary cleaners. The RNZ report described him as being “moved to tears” when talking about how the initiative benefited them. Mr Robertson, who earns about $630,000 a year as vice-chancellor, has personally set aside more than $50,000 of his funds to finance annual equity scholarships for first-year students.
