Exploitation of migrant workers a focus for immigration minister as Chinese builders seek new visas

Friday, 11 January 2019

Hon Iain Lees-Galloway Minister of Immigration said the government was planning to target migrant exploitation.

More than 40 Chinese builders caught in alleged 'bonded labour' are having the conditions of their visas reviewed by Immigration NZ.

The men were recruited by National Personnel Ltd (NPL) to work in New Zealand on one to three year visas.

However, the men said since arriving in the country last year they had not been given the full time hours or the wages they had been promised.

Immigration NZ (INZ) confirmed they were investigating the recruiter behind the men's visas, Peter Li, also known as Wenshan Li.

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Some of the Chinese workers seeking changes to their visa conditions after being recruited by a labour hire company that then failed to provide full-time work.

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Unite's Mike Treen said the progress on the case of the Chinese construction workers was 'fantastic'.

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The dispute came to head after 28 of the men were trespassed from a residential property where they had been living that was owned by NPL.

After the men were evicted from the Takinini address, NPL said in a statement the men had been allowed to stay at the address on compassionate grounds and had been provided more than $20,000 in free accommodation, but declined to comment further.

Immigration Minister, Iain Lees-Galloway, said the case was under investigation.

'While this matter is being investigated I can't go into specifics, but the issue raises concern for the Government and demonstrates why we are taking migrant exploitation so seriously,' Lees-Galloway said.

'Eliminating the exploitation of migrants is one of my top priorities.'

Lees-Galloway said he was pleased INZ and the union representing the men, Unite Union, were working together to help the workers.

'Exploitation takes many forms, from outright slavery and the serious undermining of an individual's personal freedom through to the underpayment of wages or the failure to meet guaranteed minimum leave entitlements. All are inexcusable,' he said.

Unite Union national director Mike Treen described the case as one of 'bonded labour'.

'The conditions of their visas and contracts weren't being met so they contacted an advocate. She filed a grievance on December 17 and the men were given an eviction notice on December 28,' Treen said.

The union leader said the workers, some of whom had decades experience in the construction industry, felt NPL wasn't upholding their end of the bargain and they wanted to change their visas to be able to work for a different employer.

However, the conditions of their visas meant they were tied to NPL.

Treen said it was 'pretty fantastic' that INZ were willing to assess and potentially vary the conditions of the visas to allow the men to seek other employment.

'We have job offers for virtually everyone, its great,' he said.