We are proud to announce NZSTI’s support for an independent report on interpreter testimonies collected by NZSTI member Carolina Cannard in 2023. The NZSTI-funded report will analyse those testimonies to shed more light on pay rates, industry concerns, and challenges faced by interpreters across Aotearoa. This report is crucial for bringing visibility to the challenges interpreters face by providing evidence-based insights to advocate for fair pay, better working conditions, and recognition of the vital role interpreters play. An independently-produced report honours the practitioners who provided their testimonies along with evidence of pay rates and information on the industry concerns that are talked about among colleagues but rarely brought forward in a public way. This report will be released early in the new year.
Why has NZSTI agreed to fund this report?
The Fair Pay petition and the data collected by Carolina Cannard in 2023 has given members the opportunity to voice their concerns about practices in our industry. An analysis of the data will help NZSTI form a clearer picture of the state of the interpreting industry in Aotearoa and highlight what our members’ main concerns are. The report will also assist MBIE to form a clearer picture of the main issues and concerns among New Zealand’s interpreters as they are fine-tuning processes under the newly established LAS. NZSTI is committed to highlighting issues faced by interpreters and to improving working conditions and pay rates for all NZ interpreters.
Is it legal to use this collected data to draft a public report?
Carolina has consulted a lawyer who has confirmed the legality of collecting and distributing this data as permitted under NZ law, as long as it is done anonymously. NZSTI also consulted an independent researcher who confirmed that the data was collected ethically and legally. When submitting their testimonies, all participants gave consent for their data to be shared with relevant parties and for those parties to make the data public in support of fair pay and better working conditions for interpreters in New Zealand.
Why an independent report?
In order to avoid any conflict of interest, NZSTI decided to hire an independent consultant to analyse and report on the data collected. The researcher funded by NZSTI to draft the report will have access to the exact same anonymised data that Carolina communicated to MBIE and will destroy all data after the data analysis and report has been completed.
Will the report be made public?
Absolutely. This report is due to be released in early 2025. It will be publicly available for all members to read and share.