National Happy to Have a Puny Labour Inspectorate

new-zealand-first-party

Thu Sep 08 2016 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

National Happy to Have a Puny Labour Inspectorate

Thursday, 8 September 2016, 4:02 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
8 SEPTEMBER 2016

The government is keeping New Zealand’s Labour inspectorate as a puny, under-resourced department so the widespread exploitation of foreign workers will not be revealed, says New Zealand First.

“What other explanation can it be when every week that goes by we hear of more cases of migrant worker exploitation,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“For the entire country, the Labour Inspectorate has the pitiful number of 55 officers who haven’t a hope of dealing with the thousands of cases of foreign worker exploitation right across the country.

“There should be serious random checks made to see if employers are complying with the law and whether workers are being paid the basic legal wage.

“There are 66,702 foreign students here on work visas, most of whom are too afraid to come forward for fear of losing their work visas and having to leave the country.

“Recently, nine out of 10 operators in the Marlborough wine contracting industry were found to be breaking the law when a random check was made.

“Last year, a Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) report found three out of four dairy farmers were breaking our employment laws.

“Today, Caritas Aotearoa has reported employers demand migrants work for free saying it is normal practice while the workers think this is the necessary sacrifice they have to make.

“That’s how bad it is when these 55 officers on the inspectorate don’t just cover foreign workers but all workers. They are so under-resourced that they are not as effective as they should be in ensuring that our labour laws are complied with.

“Don’t blame the inspectorate, but a government that has deliberately muted them,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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