HK Disneyland raises pay for character actors
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-21 17:19
HONG KONG - Actors who dress up as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other
characters to greet visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting pay raises and
longer breaks, the park said Sunday, following complaints of work-related
injuries, low pay and quick turnarounds between shifts.
Hong Kong
Disneyland said in a statement it will increase the monthly base pay of the
character performers by 11 percent from 9,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$1,160;
euro910) to HK$10,000 (US$1,300; euro1,010) starting June 1.
"This
adjustment is the result of benchmarking efforts internally ... with the
external Hong Kong market and with other Disney parks," the statement said.
It added that break times for the actors have been increased from 30
minutes every hour to 40 minutes from April until September due to hot weather
and that pregnant employees would be stationed at air-conditioned locations and
be given lighter work loads if necessary.
Character actors who greet
visitors at the park had complained that night shifts would sometimes be
followed by morning shifts and that their pay trailed the HK$11,000 (US$1,420;
euro1,112) monthly salary earned by those who appear in shows.
The
performers also said they suffered from muscle pain and neck and waist injuries
from wearing the costumes.
The South China Morning Post Sunday quoted a
spokeswoman for the workers, Elaine Hui, as saying they welcome the changes, but
that "there is still room for improvement."
Calls to a local union that
works with the Hong Kong Disneyland workers went unanswered Sunday.
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