A group of placard-waving subcontractors protested against Auckland-headquartered hotel owner CP Group on Queen St last week, saying they are owed money.
They are promising to return to Auckland's main street tomorrow, saying negotiations have come to nought.
David Tanenui, an Auckland painter and decorator, demonstrated outside CP's
offices in the Dingwall Building claiming $63,000 for work on the interior of the group's Lakewood Rotorua property.
But Gordy Mallela, CP Group's financial controller, said no money was owed and work on the vacant 23-room property was faulty.
Grahame Fong, CP's solicitor, said the painting work was assessed by an independent contractor and found lacking.
The party dealing with Tanenui was not CP Group but a company CP was acting as an agent for, he said.
That party was willing to abide by the terms of the Construction Contracts Act, he said, adding that Tanenui had also protested at the Rotorua property.
"There was a contract and there is a dispute revolving around that contract," he said.
Tanenui said he had been paid $19,000, the remainder of the money was outstanding. The job had taken longer than expected: 12 people worked there for three months and were paid $19,000, he said.
"We should have been out by August 1 but we were still there by September 1," he said.
CP Group has its headquarters in the Dingwall Building on Queen St and the group carried signs saying "NZers first" and "Tangata Whenua stands up for contractors".
Tanenui said he wanted to give a voice to all the subcontractors in New Zealand who were owed money.
He had taken legal advice about his rights to take court action against CP but he said this would cost $30,000 and he did not have the money.
