Comments on: The migrant worker exploitation morass http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/ A blog written by Labour MPs Wed, 22 May 2013 10:55:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Jack Ramaka http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291581 Jack Ramaka Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:41:25 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291581 Asian tradesmen can do trades work in Auckland here at alot less than skilled Kiwi's however the quality of the workmanship is sometimes questionable, however saying that I have employed some very good Asian tradesmen. There is an old saying uou get what you pay for. Asian tradesmen can do trades work in Auckland here at alot less than skilled Kiwi’s however the quality of the workmanship is sometimes questionable, however saying that I have employed some very good Asian tradesmen.

There is an old saying uou get what you pay for.

]]> By: George http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291516 George Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:44:51 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291516 This sort of thing has been going on for at least twenty years. Back in the early nineties people were complaining about being undercut by both foreign illegals and local beneficiaries working under the table. National did nothing about it then and neither did Labour when they got into power. Why would anybody believe that Labour will do anything about the problem should they ever get into power again? This sort of thing has been going on for at least twenty years.
Back in the early nineties people were complaining about being undercut by both foreign illegals and local beneficiaries working under the table. National did nothing about it then and neither did Labour when they got into power. Why would anybody believe that Labour will do anything about the problem should they ever get into power again?

]]> By: Pete George http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291513 Pete George Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:25:46 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291513 On business and humble pie: http://yournz.org/2012/08/21/supporting-darien-fenton-supporting-business/ On business and humble pie:
http://yournz.org/2012/08/21/supporting-darien-fenton-supporting-business/

]]> By: Darien Fenton http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291399 Darien Fenton Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:51:21 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291399 @Pete George : Thank you. Appreciate it. @Pete George : Thank you. Appreciate it.

]]> By: Pete George http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291392 Pete George Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:38:30 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291392 "Just so you know, I always defend good employers and businesses. We need them. That was one point in my post – much of the contact I’ve had has been from small business who are concerned that they can’t compete with employers who break the law. They were supporting the comments I have made in the media and asking me to keep at it." Good to hear this. Maybe I was being too cynical and negative from seeing too much "workers good, employers bad" on blogs. And media tends to miss much of the positive. I'll see what I can do to help. “Just so you know, I always defend good employers and businesses. We need them. That was one point in my post – much of the contact I’ve had has been from small business who are concerned that they can’t compete with employers who break the law. They were supporting the comments I have made in the media and asking me to keep at it.”

Good to hear this. Maybe I was being too cynical and negative from seeing too much “workers good, employers bad” on blogs. And media tends to miss much of the positive.

I’ll see what I can do to help.

]]> By: Darien Fenton http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291279 Darien Fenton Mon, 20 Aug 2012 06:46:27 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291279 @Pete G : I'm sorry but your comment was an irrelevant political shot and you know it. There has been evidence; it's been on the TV screens every night this last week and it's been in my in-box, it's been in the stories at the Diversity Forum I've just spent two days at, it's in answers to questions to the Minister at Estimates, who admitted the problem is growing, it's in answers to written questions - I could go on. I can assure you I will continue to ask the questions, but it's the government's job to tell us how big (or not) the problem is and they are simply unable to - because they don't know either. I'm pleased you will stick up for workers who are being treated unfairly at work; Just so you know, I always defend good employers and businesses. We need them. That was one point in my post - much of the contact I've had has been from small business who are concerned that they can't compete with employers who break the law. They were supporting the comments I have made in the media and asking me to keep at it. @Pete G : I’m sorry but your comment was an irrelevant political shot and you know it. There has been evidence; it’s been on the TV screens every night this last week and it’s been in my in-box, it’s been in the stories at the Diversity Forum I’ve just spent two days at, it’s in answers to questions to the Minister at Estimates, who admitted the problem is growing, it’s in answers to written questions – I could go on. I can assure you I will continue to ask the questions, but it’s the government’s job to tell us how big (or not) the problem is and they are simply unable to – because they don’t know either. I’m pleased you will stick up for workers who are being treated unfairly at work; Just so you know, I always defend good employers and businesses. We need them. That was one point in my post – much of the contact I’ve had has been from small business who are concerned that they can’t compete with employers who break the law. They were supporting the comments I have made in the media and asking me to keep at it.

]]> By: Pete G http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291254 Pete G Mon, 20 Aug 2012 04:40:23 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291254 Tim G. - I haven't seen this get any mileage at TS. It is relevant to the man on the roof, a story without details that casts aspersions on all sickness beneficiaries. Darien - I'll stick up for migrant workers who are being unfairly treated in employment. I'll stick up for any worker who is being unfairly treated in employment. And I'll also stick up for the many businesses who treat workers fairly. Many business owners provide many jobs that pay reasonably. And if they are forced to pay more it would stress the business, and it also often stresses the health and families of the business owners. And it will stress the workers who find they have no jobs because small business owners can't be bothered taking all the risks any more. By all means stick up for wrong doing, but don't guess the degree of the problem. If you can show (more than guessing) that it's a significznt problem I may help campaign against it. But I won't if it's just another political exageration. Tim G. – I haven’t seen this get any mileage at TS. It is relevant to the man on the roof, a story without details that casts aspersions on all sickness beneficiaries.

Darien – I’ll stick up for migrant workers who are being unfairly treated in employment. I’ll stick up for any worker who is being unfairly treated in employment.

And I’ll also stick up for the many businesses who treat workers fairly. Many business owners provide many jobs that pay reasonably. And if they are forced to pay more it would stress the business, and it also often stresses the health and families of the business owners. And it will stress the workers who find they have no jobs because small business owners can’t be bothered taking all the risks any more.

By all means stick up for wrong doing, but don’t guess the degree of the problem. If you can show (more than guessing) that it’s a significznt problem I may help campaign against it. But I won’t if it’s just another political exageration.

]]> By: Tim G. http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291236 Tim G. Mon, 20 Aug 2012 04:07:58 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291236 @Rob S: <blockquote>mo·rass   [muh-ras] noun 1.a tract of low, soft, wet ground. 2.a marsh or bog. 3.marshy ground. 4.any confusing or troublesome situation, especially one from which it is difficult to free oneself; entanglement.</blockquote> Exactly how was that hyperbole? @Pete G said: <blockquote>"Shades of bene on the roof, casting aspersions on all migrants and all businesses?"</blockquote> Shades of Pete G trying to inappropriately shoehorn in an anti-Labour meme that has been getting some mileage on the Standard, yet has little or no relevance to this post. :roll: @Rob S:

mo·rass   [muh-ras] noun

1.a tract of low, soft, wet ground.
2.a marsh or bog.
3.marshy ground.
4.any confusing or troublesome situation, especially one from which it is difficult to free oneself; entanglement.

Exactly how was that hyperbole?

@Pete G said:

“Shades of bene on the roof, casting aspersions on all migrants and all businesses?”

Shades of Pete G trying to inappropriately shoehorn in an anti-Labour meme that has been getting some mileage on the Standard, yet has little or no relevance to this post.
:roll:

]]> By: Monique Watson http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291221 Monique Watson Mon, 20 Aug 2012 02:56:13 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291221 Pete G. fancy seeing you here. 'D you get banned from The Standard or something? Have migrant workers actually complained in fdroves? Or is it a short term thing where migrants who may be employed by other migrants move quickly into better positions or running their own businesses? Pete G. fancy seeing you here. ‘D you get banned from The Standard or something?
Have migrant workers actually complained in fdroves? Or is it a short term thing where migrants who may be employed by other migrants move quickly into better positions or running their own businesses?

]]> By: Rob S http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/08/19/the-migrant-worker-exploitation-morass/comment-page-1/#comment-291219 Rob S Mon, 20 Aug 2012 02:53:28 +0000 http://blog.labour.org.nz/?p=36992#comment-291219 'Why aren't you?'. PeteG never said he wasn't, and he has a valid point that the language you have used contains quite a lot of hyperbole (I think as a result of not actually having a clue how deep the morass is, but it needed to sound scary or big to fit the rhetoric). FiFi- why couldn't it be all business owners not just migrants? Just because someone is from NZ doesn't mean they know squat about NZ Employment Law (let alone fair trading/consumer guarantees/commerce act). ‘Why aren’t you?’. PeteG never said he wasn’t, and he has a valid point that the language you have used contains quite a lot of hyperbole (I think as a result of not actually having a clue how deep the morass is, but it needed to sound scary or big to fit the rhetoric).

FiFi- why couldn’t it be all business owners not just migrants? Just because someone is from NZ doesn’t mean they know squat about NZ Employment Law (let alone fair trading/consumer guarantees/commerce act).

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