A union boss and a pub owner have clashed over New Zealand getting a one-off public holiday to mark Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealanders will have the day off on Monday, September 26 to mourn the late monarch, who died aged 96 last week.
The president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Richard Wagstaff told AM on Tuesday he believes the public holiday is a "mark of respect" to the Queen.
"We haven't had a public holiday to mark the Queen's reign, to mark her life and I think a lot of people in New Zealand and right across the Commonwealth but in New Zealand want to do the same," Wagstaff told AM co-host Ryan Bridge.
He said the holiday will come at a good time for Kiwis who've had a tough winter.
"It's been a long, hard winter and people are pretty pleased to be able to take another day off and so we think it's a good move and we're following our brothers and sisters in Australia and we think it's the way to go."
The extra holiday has been met with mixed emotions, with the owner of the Backbencher pub in downtown Wellington Alistair Boyce saying he is "pretty stressed" about it.
"You've got to remember, there's a whole raft of CBD businesses who can't get staff, who are owner-operators, blue-collar essentially working up to 70 hours a week and we're pretty stressed," Boyce said.
"The Queen has been part of my family's life all the way through my life ... but this is a massive imposition on small businesses."
But Wagstaff believes a holiday to mark the Queen's death won't "knock small businesses off their perch", which was met with criticism from AM co-host Bridge.
He hit back saying it's not just one day, it's one day on top of Matariki, extra sick pay and increases to minimum wage but Wagstaff disagreed.
"I think you need to put it in perspective, 365 days a year, 52 weeks a year, 48 weeks work a year, one day is not - and this is not just every year either - going to make that much difference," Wagstaff told AM.
"Also, remember the benefits that it brings. It will be good for businesses who are out there in any sort of tourism business. It will also be good for your staff in terms of their fatigue and their tiredness, and just getting another day of R&R."
Boyce disagreed saying the Queen would want to support 500,00 employers who are working "their butt off" and struggling to make any money.
"I think the Queen was a pillar of virtue and that she was such a hardworking individual. I think she should be honoured that we want to have a day off and to make respect to her," he said.
"But I also think she would want to support 500,000 businesses who are frankly working their butts off, who are struggling to break even, let alone make any money, and who can't provide the staffing infrastructure to get there at all."
Watch the full interview with Richard Wagstaff and Alistair Boyce above.
