Iain Lees-Galloway
New Zealand’s Immigration Minister has ordered an urgent report into specific purpose work visas. Source: Newshub
It was revealed that four Indonesian welders at Napier Pine sawmill were receiving around NZ$3 an hour.
The Opposition says the workers have been exploited.
The men, who were here on specific purpose visas, said they were paid just over NZ$3 an hour for nine months by their Indonesian employer.
“This is one of the most egregious forms of migrant exploitation we’ve seen in a while,” Labour immigration spokesperson Ian Lees-Galloway said.
“It is the sort of thing we’re seeing a lot of in New Zealand.”
The men were sent to New Zealand to install specialised machinery, and the Minister wants answers about their treatment.
“I have expressed my disappointment that in the wake of a previous case where I made instructions very clear to them [Immigration NZ] that three months was the maximum duration for a special purpose visa, that doesn’t appear to be the case, so I am disappointed,” Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said.
That previous case involved Chinese workers a union alleges were underpaid while working on Kiwirail locomotives. Kiwirail has rejected the union claims, and the case is ongoing.
For this type of work, the visa expires after three months.
Mr Woodhouse says he can’t understand why that duration was extended.
“I’ve asked Immigration New Zealand to give me a report in January about the number of special purpose visas that have been issued basically in breach of the instructions that I’ve given them,” he said.
However Mr Lees-Galloway says Mr Woodhouse needs to take more responsibility.
“It’s all very well for the minister to say he has asked Immigration New Zealand to take this more seriously; it’s actually his job to make sure Immigration New Zealand has the resources to enforce the law properly,” Mr Lees-Galloway said.
But the Minister says he expects answers from his officials and doesn’t think it’s a widespread problem.
