Venkat Raman
Auckland, June 30, 2023
A Radio New Zealand report published last fortnight made depressing reading.
It quoted the Queenstown Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) General Manager Tracy Pool as saying that dozens of migrant workers are struggling to pay rent and meet basic living costs because they are not getting work hours as promised at the time of recruitment.
She said that about 40 people have contacted the Bureau in the past two months explaining their hardship. It is important to note that all the workers are on Accredited Employer Work Visas, a scheme that is supposedly guaranteed by or to the government of proper migrant care.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa
It is also important to note that most of the workers are in the hospitality sector- comprising hotels, motels, restaurants and takeaway outlets, which had said that their business was being crippled because of a lack of migrant workers during and after Covid.
The government allowed migrant workers to be recruited by employers who complied with the newly created Accreditation process.
The Scheme requires accredited employers to guarantee workers a minimum of 30 hours a week, but Ms Pool said that many workers are working lesser hours and that their plight is being exacerbated by the rising cost of living.
Ms Pool told RNZ that breaches of employment contracts are not new to Queenstown but the increasing number of cases in recent weeks has been worrying.
But to their credit, not all employers are wilful, some are under financial stress as well.
“I think that there is some exploitation of the migrants, but in other cases, many employers cannot afford to pay wages,” Ms Pool said.
Migrant workers, and especially temporary migrant workers, are vulnerable to exploitation by employers. Many have limited knowledge of their rights, sometimes find it difficult to communicate and feel their ability to speak up is constrained because they fear that their immigration status is at risk.
Routine abuse
Exploitation of migrant workers and international students is nothing new in countries that depend on migration for their economic progress. Britain, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have laws that prescribe minimum wages, working and living conditions and rights of migrants on work permits.
Yet, they suffer in silence a variety of atrocities- working long hours, accepting less pay, often by cash, and allowing their employers to evade tax and even immigration laws. They suffer in silence to avoid loss of jobs, and worse, deportation.
A majority of migrant workers come to countries like New Zealand seeking a better life. They should be treated with compassion and respect.
We need laws that are responsible but humane.
There is no argument against a smart, quick and efficient immigration regime, and strengthened border controls. There cannot be any cry against tightened curbs on the hiring of illegal workers, requiring most businesses to verify employees against an electronic database of those allowed to work. But there is a need for a regime that is tough on erring employers – those exploiting the helpless situation of migrant workers and international students.
Such a regime would also educate foreigners on their rights and the ways and means of redressing their grievances.
People of the Indian community, especially from India are angry, not only because their good image is tarnished by unscrupulous elements, but also because it is inhuman to exploit labour. Many of them have said that we should name, shame and boycott them. The government must take bold steps to stem the growth of rogue employers, exploitation of migrant workers and the increasing threat of illegal immigrants orchestrated by human traffickers.
