Disney Characters Getting Raises in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) – 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 that it would increase the monthly base pay of the character performers by 11% 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. The company 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 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.