Worker abuses mainstream in NZ

new-zealand-first-party

Sun Jul 03 2016 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Worker abuses mainstream in NZ

Sunday, 3 July 2016, 8:08 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
3 JULY 2016

WORKER ABUSES MAINSTREAM IN NZ – OUTED BY USA

New Zealand has just got another lousy mark from the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2016.

“Exploitation of workers has become mainstream in New Zealand,” says New Zealand First Leader and MP for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“This is not back street activity, it is mainstream, particularly in Auckland, and is identified by the US report as ‘prevalent’ around the country in farming.

“It was inevitable with over 125,000 people arriving each year, many low skilled, and with virtually no scrutiny. This government is throwing desperate immigrant workers into the hands of some unscrupulous employers and our regulatory bodies can’t cope.

“Young women with few alternatives end up in the sex business and others work long hours for miserable wages, if any.

“Where are the cases coming to court each week? Why is the Labour Inspectorate so run down? There are only about 55 inspectors in the whole country – that would barely be enough for Auckland.

“This is so much more than abuse of our labour laws.

“We have a sound justice system and we require a highly resourced organisation to collect substantiated evidence for successful prosecutions. After all this is a secretive, devious class of exploiters and the victims are fearful of speaking out.

“The government has been caught out with the recent discovery of hundreds of cases of falsified documents used by so-called skilled Filippino dairy farm workers, and many foreign students using false documentation.

“As a society we are quick to scream about racism, but do nothing to rescue those being exploited. Shame on this government for joining the global trade in poorer workers.”

ENDS

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