An Auckland grocer has been penalised $12,000 by the Employment Relations Authority after an investigation uncovered attempts to charge a migrant worker a premium.
Loua Ward from the Labour Inspectorate commented “Employers who exploit vulnerable workers by making them pay premiums in exchange for a job breach New Zealand law, and it will not be tolerated,” she went on to say that “This practice takes advantage of migrants who may not be aware of all their rights and entitlements in New Zealand, or may not feel like they have any other option.”
Raw N Fresh Limited and its director Amardeep Singh, who had traded as both ‘Drury Lane Fruit and Vegies’ and ‘Waiuku Fruit and Veges’, demanded the newly employed shop manager pay $20,000, then reduced their demand to $18,000, in exchange for supporting the employee’s visas.
Both times the employee refused to make the payments sought by Mr Singh, choosing instead to leave his job at Raw N Fresh Limited and report the matter to the Labour Inspectorate.
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