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New Zealand – Labour inspector charges farmers with breaching employment standards

26 February 2015

Labour inspectors in New Zealand are taking a South Canterbury farmer to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) after finding that employers were breaking labour laws at two local dairy farms, reports The Timaru Herald.

The Labour Inspectorate visited one farm as part of its dairy audit strategy and the other following a complaint.

The employment standards breaches included not paying the minimum wage and docking workers' wages unfairly, as well as problems with record-keeping, employment agreements, and leave entitlements.

The inspectorate issued both bosses with improvement notices and is seeking penalties from one of them at the ERA.

The Labour Inspectorate's business and operations support manager, Steve Watson, said the inspectorate did not close a file on an employment standard breach until it was satisfied the required changes had taken place.

Filipino Dairy Workers in New Zealand (FDWNZ) Chairwoman Maiden Saba said although labour breaches against migrant workers appeared to have reduced in recent years, abuse of dairy workers remained a problem for the organisation's members in Mid and South Canterbury.

Two local members told her they were working 15-hour days during the calving season. In another case, an employer had not been providing waged dairy workers with wet-weather gear.

The inspectorate conducted 176 investigations in farm-related industries across New Zealand in 2014 and found 67 employment standard breaches.

Ms Saba said labour inspectors needed to be more active: "They should be in the field more."

FDWNZ had complained to the Philippines Embassy, but there was little they could do. It was difficult for migrant workers to complain because they feared losing their jobs or residency.