Migrant ripoff penalties ‘nothing’
Employers caught exploiting migrant workers could be banned from hiring migrants for up to two years, but unions say the penalties may lack teeth.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse announced the measures as part of a clampdown by the Government on employers who breach immigration and employment law.
A recent study by six nongovernmental organisations revealed modern slavery across many industries including hospitality, construction and dairy.
The minister said it was unacceptable that employers who exploited migrant workers could still recruit from the international labour market, disadvantaging employers who did the right thing.
Employers who break the law would be banned from recruiting migrant workers for a stand-down period that could range from six months to two years, depending on the severity of the case.
But unions said the punishment didn’t go far enough.
‘‘Anything is better than nothing, so we welcome this step. However, there are some obvious problems,’’ Unite workers’ union national director Mike Treen said.
‘‘The scale of the problem is underestimated. There are 150,000 people working on temporary work visas in New Zealand that industries rely on and those workers are in an overwhelmingly vulnerable position … because they don’t even have the right to change employers from an abusive employer.
‘‘Until people are fully able to change employers and are able to fully exercise their legal rights, we have a problem. At worst you’re stood down for two years … It’s a bit of a growling in my view.’’
First Union’s Union Network of Migrants co-ordinator, Dennis Maga, questioned how workers would be encouraged to come forward.
‘‘What we want to see is employers banned from being able to employ foreign workers at all.
‘‘Two years is nothing for these guys. These measures are big on paper but soft in application.’’