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LOCAL News :: Labour
Exploitation of Thai labourers $200 a week vineyard work
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Date Created
- 06 Jun 2007
Date Edited
- 06 Jun 2007 04:15:09 PM
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This work is in the public domain.
a complaint lodged with the Thai embassy involving the Sukhothai-based firm Lux Intertrade which sent 33 workers to the country for horticultural jobs with Havenleigh Global Services.
Meanwhile for 457 visa style exploitation "kiwi" bosses are as big a bastards as Ozzie Money maggot ones are it seems...
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT
05 June 07
The Bangkok Post
Thai employment authorities and their counterparts in New Zealand are looking into cases of Thai farm hands who are locked in a dispute with their foreign employers.
Eight Thai employees, mostly Sukothai natives, are trying to shift to new jobs as they claim to have been exploited by their present employers. Their allegation has prompted concerned authorities to see if there is any breach of contract.
Suphat Gukhun, director of Thailand's Overseas Employment Administration, told the Bangkok Post that the Department of Employment is closely coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and the Thai embassy in Wellington to see whether the workers' employers have fully complied with the contracts and whether the Thai recruitment firm, Lux Intertrade, has also abided by its contracts.
Diplomatic sources said an investigation was started back in March, following a complaint lodged with the Thai embassy involving the Sukhothai-based firm Lux Intertrade which sent 33 workers to the country for horticultural jobs with Havenleigh Global Services.
Among the eight unhappy workers were Orasa Khambut and Surachet Kannika who told New Zealand newspapers that they paid 10,000 NZ dollars (240,000 baht) each to a recruitment agency hoping that they would receive 5,000 NZ dollars (120,000 baht) a month. But in reality they got only 200 NZ dollars (4,800 baht) a week after tax and rent of 96 NZ dollars was deducted.
Mr Suphat said the firm's licence could be revoked if it is found at fault.
Sorayuth Thongpaknam, co-owner of the recruitment firm, said so far no major petition had been filed and the firm, which has sent workers to New Zealand for a year, had also checked the working conditions to see if the local employer was complying with the contracts.
''So far, the firm has not done anything wrong and has paid the wages according to the contract, which has been read by the workers and acknowledged by the Employment Department. The workers knew they would be getting 13 NZ dollars (312 baht) per hour,'' said Mr Sorayuth.
www.thailabour.org/news/file.php
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT
05 June 07
The Bangkok Post
Thai employment authorities and their counterparts in New Zealand are looking into cases of Thai farm hands who are locked in a dispute with their foreign employers.
Eight Thai employees, mostly Sukothai natives, are trying to shift to new jobs as they claim to have been exploited by their present employers. Their allegation has prompted concerned authorities to see if there is any breach of contract.
Suphat Gukhun, director of Thailand's Overseas Employment Administration, told the Bangkok Post that the Department of Employment is closely coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and the Thai embassy in Wellington to see whether the workers' employers have fully complied with the contracts and whether the Thai recruitment firm, Lux Intertrade, has also abided by its contracts.
Diplomatic sources said an investigation was started back in March, following a complaint lodged with the Thai embassy involving the Sukhothai-based firm Lux Intertrade which sent 33 workers to the country for horticultural jobs with Havenleigh Global Services.
Among the eight unhappy workers were Orasa Khambut and Surachet Kannika who told New Zealand newspapers that they paid 10,000 NZ dollars (240,000 baht) each to a recruitment agency hoping that they would receive 5,000 NZ dollars (120,000 baht) a month. But in reality they got only 200 NZ dollars (4,800 baht) a week after tax and rent of 96 NZ dollars was deducted.
Mr Suphat said the firm's licence could be revoked if it is found at fault.
Sorayuth Thongpaknam, co-owner of the recruitment firm, said so far no major petition had been filed and the firm, which has sent workers to New Zealand for a year, had also checked the working conditions to see if the local employer was complying with the contracts.
''So far, the firm has not done anything wrong and has paid the wages according to the contract, which has been read by the workers and acknowledged by the Employment Department. The workers knew they would be getting 13 NZ dollars (312 baht) per hour,'' said Mr Sorayuth.
www.thailabour.org/news/file.php
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Comments
Re: Exploitation of Thai labourers $200 a week vineyard work
this also undermines nz workers who are not prepared to slave away 'on contract' just to receive minimum wage. it keeps the wages down for working nzers.
and then, poor nzers get forced out to work by winz to do backbreaking labour 'on contract'. lots of these people from winz are clearly not suited for horticultural work and struggle immensely. even to make minimum wage. and as soon as u r 45, u r 2 old anyway.
however, the orchardists and vineyard owners ramble on about the interest rates. and export blah blah. they are suffering from globalisation and yet are too locked into their thinking to fight it.
Re: Exploitation of Thai labourers $200 a week vineyard work
the fact that these workers are flown in from places like thailand and put to work then dumped back home is disgusting and only serves the interests of the agri-business and horticulturalists.
Re: Exploitation of Thai labourers $200 a week vineyard work
it differ what your article says. The money the Thai
immigrants were paid was not even close to $200 a week it was much much less. The place they stay was
terrible. It was a form of slavery really.
Poor working conditions and exploitation in New Zealand is well alive but are not exposed. I have come in contact with many many who are one form or
other exploited and some are not immigrant.
This week I spoke to a youth. She left school to start working in the Hospitality industry over a
year ago. She told me her desilusion of excessive
unhealthy working hours: 9am to 12 seven days a week with breaks which are not paid and hour rate
of $9 which is under the minimum wage. I asked her
to go public so it could help others in the future.
I wonder if is there any Government Department which deal with the workers right in this country
and that do their job by regular visit working premises not just to catch the ilegal immigrant
What we don't aknowledge we can not change