Between Kebabs and Rice Meals, an employer fosters a fraternal bond

Employees of Daaku Kebab and Sourav Investments

Venkat Raman
Auckland, January 20, 2025

New Zealand employers are among the best in the world but a minority that flout the law and exploit workers get media attention, says Auckland-based Barrister Matt Robson.

Although known for protecting vulnerable migrant workers for more than three decades, he believes that small business owners who are compliant with all the systems and procedures sometimes become victims of what he calls ‘worker exploitation.’

“Employment Law should be fair and must emphasise the rights of employers along with their responsibilities. Governments should have in place legislation that does not overstate either party, a law that is equitable and a fair redressal process. The media also has its role,” he said.

Indian Newslink Business Awards follows a stringent evaluation process which takes into account the fair trade practices of entry companies including their employee relations. The Best Employer of Choice category takes into account the input of employees of an entry company and how they view their employer and management.

Indian Newslink hopes to publish a few ‘positive stories’ of ‘good employer-employee engagement’ and promote the concept of ‘higher productivity under congenial work environments.’ These could range from very large companies with hybrid employees to a small restaurant that has a chef and a waiter.

Such stories would also inspire companies that are struggling to recover from the ongoing crisis.

“A congenial work environment breeds happy employers and employees,” says Mr Robson.

“Employees are like my family. I care for them.”-Sourav Sourav (Photo Supplied)

Daaku Kebab

Our first company in the series in 2025 is Daaku & Bros and Sourav Investments Limited, trading as Daaku Kebab and Devil Kebab, specialising in Turkish Cuisine with Kebabs, Pizza, Burgers, Meat on Chips, Rice Meals, Fired Chicken and other items.

Located in Henderson (346 Great North Road), West Auckland and 149 Line Road, Glen Innes and Mangere (93 Bader Drive) in South Auckland, the outlets provide Dine In, Online and Takeaway services.

Sourav Sourav, who owns the businesses started the enterprises in an inopportune year (2022) when the Covid lockdown hit hard the hospitality industry, especially the restaurant sector.

A hardworking entrepreneur from Haryana in India, he was determined to succeed.

“I was the only employee when I started the first unit. I used to work 17 hours a day and built up the business steadily. It was tough but I knew that success cannot be far away,” he said.

Mr Sourav became an Accredited Employer in 2023 and applied for work visas to import appropriate talent from India.

Today, the establishments- Daaku and Sourav – account for eight employees each (a total complement of 14 men and two women). It is a well-knit family fostering good employer-employee relations.

“Employment Law and procedures must be fair to all parties,” says Barrister Matt Robson (INL File Photo)

Good Employer-Employee Engagement

Speaking to Indian Newslink, all 16 employees said that they were happy to be in New Zealand.

“While we had the initial fear of going to a foreign country – an unknown land far away from our culture, Mr Sourav made us feel at home. He helped us to settle down and provided all the initial support and assistance. He worked with us and taught us the New Zealand work culture and the concept of customer service. He is concerned about our health and safety and complies with all the regulations. He is a good employer,” they said.

Mr Sourav said that he appreciates the sentiments of the working class.

“I am a worker and a migrant employer and hence I understand the importance of promoting a good working environment. Besides, the restaurant industry has stringent health and safety standards which keeps us employers alert all the time,” he said.

It must be mentioned that the meeting was exclusively with this Reporter without the participation of their employer or legal counsel.

A controversy

Not that Mr Sourav was not susceptible to unsavoury publicity. Early last year, four of his compatriots from Haryana and Punjab accused him of having taken money (ranging from $26,000 and $60,000) to arrange their work visas, making them work 17 hours a day and not paying them as per the contract.

They are not in his employ and our efforts to obtain their comments have not been successful.

Indian Newslink’s efforts to engage the complainants in a conversation without external participation were not successful.

But all the current employees denied these charges.

“We have neither paid money for the visas nor were we exploited. We are paid as per our contract. We have no complaints,” Narendra Singh, said, speaking for all his fellow workers.

The report appeared about a year ago and Mr Robson said that the ever-alert Department of Labour would have sought Mr Sourav’s comments if there was a case to investigate.

“All employers are aware of their obligations. They are also aware that violation of their rules in force and worker exploitation will not go unnoticed for long,” he said.

Mr Sourav says that he is eager to promote his business and expand.

“I have complied with the rules and regulations in force and always paid salaries of my employees on time, crediting to their bank accounts. I have never paid salaries in cash,” he said.

Revising the Labour Law

Many entrants to the Indian Newslink Business Awards say that the Employment Law in New Zealand needs revision to reflect the changing realities, economic downturn and other factors.

“We need to focus on improving product and market reach, increase productivity and look for new and overseas markets. While the government is legislating on many issues, it is important to consider modernising our labour laws, which must be fair and balanced,” they say.

During an interview with Indian Newslink months before the General Election 2023, ACT Party Deputy Leader (and now Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and Minister of Interior) Brooke van Velden said that her Party believed in fair legislation that fosters better workplace relations.

She was also of the view that New Zealand’s Employment Law must be well-balanced and should not detrimental to either party.

ACT Party Policies

Among the policies of the ACT Party are (a) Getting rid of the complicated and burdensome system for temporary work visas and replacing it with simple demand-based pricing, while tackling the sources of the slow processing times of Immigration New Zealand (b) Placing a moratorium on minimum wage increases for three years (c) Removing the January 2 public holiday to help small business absorb the cost of Matariki (d) Reinstating 90-day trials for all businesses, not just those with fewer than 20 employees (e) Reinstating 90-day trials for all businesses, not just those with fewer than 20 employees

and (f) Reducing the costs of unfounded personal grievances to employers.

Since forming the Coalition Government, Ms van Velden has reinstated the 90-day trial period to all companies, irrespective of their size.

She is reportedly working on various other aspects of the Employment Law to make it responsive to the changing needs of the economy and more importantly, address the impact it has on small, owner-operated businesses.

New Zealand has the second-highest hourly minimum wage and yet the most stringent in terms of its Employment Law.

Employers say that among the challenges they face include (a) Inappropriate Employee Behaviour and the difficulty of navigating the legal process for termination (b) Fear of Legal Repercussions including ‘Personal Grievances’ (and (c) Administrative Burden.

In New Zealand, the relationship between employers and employees is governed by a robust legal framework designed to ensure fair treatment and protect the rights of both parties. While these laws are crucial for safeguarding employees, there is a growing concern among employers about the potential for exploitation by employees.

Employers are now keen to explore the dynamics of employer-employee relations, highlighting the positive practices of the majority of companies, the challenges faced by employers due to stringent employment laws, and the need for balanced protections in a recovering economy.

Note to Readers: If you wish your employer to be featured in this series, please email venkat@indiannewslink.nz

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