First Union organizer Mikee Santos (far proper) represents a gaggle of a gaggle of Filipino building staff, who say their former employer Rehua Reo Contracting owes them weeks of wages.
Photograph: RNZ/Lucia Xia
A bunch of Filipino building staff say they’re being paid 1000’s of {dollars} in wages, together with the time a few of them have spent on Auckland’s Metropolis Rail Hyperlink challenge.
First Union, which represents eight of the roughly 70 staff, says their former employer, Rehua Reo Contracting, successfully pressured them out by suspending wages late final 12 months.
Some say they’ve lately turn into residents via the Resident Visa 2021 program.
On common, they are saying they have been owed three weeks wage and trip, about $6,000, however some have been owed greater than $8,000.
No less than 4 of the boys had labored for Rehua Reo Contracting on the joint Auckland Council/Authorities Metropolis Rail Hyperlink challenge.
The Excessive Courtroom confirmed that IRD had filed for liquidation of the corporate in November 2021, however the hearings have been adjourned a number of occasions and an consequence is awaited.
The administrators of the corporate are listed within the Corporations Workplace as Phillip Andrew Leigh Ngawaka and Melanie Catanuto.
The primary union organizer and coordinator of the Union Community of Migrants (UNEMIG), Mikee Santos, stated that whereas the corporate had hinted through social media that it was restructuring and was going to be liquidated, there was by no means any formal communication to the employees relating to the dismissal.
Santos stated its eight members returned to work in January after Christmas, solely to seek out themselves with out pay for practically a month.
When staff questioned the corporate, what they obtained have been empty guarantees of pay and no response that they might be fired.
“The corporate hasn’t disclosed, even to the union, how they may pay their obligations: weeks of unpaid wages, and trip pay, the ultimate pay,” Santos stated.
First time Santos had a response from one of many managers. Phillip Ngawaka, it was the day after RNZ approached the corporate for remark.
Santos stated that when requested in regards to the unpaid salaries, Ngawaka stated “there isn’t any more cash”.
The corporate didn’t reply to RNZ’s a number of requests for remark.
Money owed
Santos stated a lot of the group of 70 staff have been saddled with debt and compelled to seek out new jobs.
He stated the timing was additionally horrible as the employees had solely returned since Christmas, which was historically a time to ship giant sums of cash to household for Filipino staff.
Whereas others have been nonetheless in debt with the cash they spent on immigration consultants to acquire residency – about $7,000.
No less than 4 of the boys had labored for Rehua Reo Contracting on the joint Auckland Council/Authorities Metropolis Rail Hyperlink challenge.
Photograph: 123rf.com
Steelworker Marcial Bajado stated he was owed about three weeks’ wage, which included work finished on the CRL challenge.
Bajado stated it was a troublesome time financially.
“All my funds default and I am unable to even purchase meals for my children. I’ve to borrow cash from my pals,” she stated.
“That is the worst a part of my life right here in New Zealand, not getting paid for 3 weeks, I have not gotten over it till now, as a result of I nonetheless owe my pals cash,” he stated.
Elbert Paymalanin stated it was unhappy and disappointing to nonetheless be ready to receives a commission for work finished in December of final 12 months and early January, together with work on the CRL challenge.
One other employee, William Carisma, stated he was not paid for work he did at CRL as a metal repairman in December and was pressured to discover a new job.
Carisma stated she used most of her financial savings to pay hire throughout that point.
He stated when he spoke to the corporate in January to ask about his wage, he was advised they did not have the cash to pay him as a result of he wasn’t being paid by the contractors above it.
CRL spokesman Nick Smith confirmed that Rehua Reo Contracting was a subcontractor on the challenge late final 12 months.
Smith stated the corporate was contracted out to Hyperlink Alliance subcontractor, Metal & Tube.
Smith stated it has met and continued to fulfill contractual and monetary obligations with Metal & Tube, together with cost for accomplished works.
He stated he understood that Metal & Tube had paid for work accomplished by Rehua Reo Contracting.
Metal & Tube chief govt Mark Malpass stated it had happy all monetary obligations to its subcontractor JD Holdings Ltd, which owned Rehua Reo Contracting.
Malpass stated they have been now not working with JD Holdings on the CRL challenge.
Bryan, who served as a building supervisor for Rehua Reo Contracting, stated he was owed practically 100 hours of wages in January, which included a day’s work at CRL Mt Eden doing web site inspections.
For Bryan, supporting his household within the Philippines was an obligation, even when he was struggling after weeks with out pay.
He needed to borrow cash to ship again to his household in January.
Ultimately, he had no selection however to depart and has now began his personal small enterprise, taking up among the different staff who’ve been not directly fired.
He stated the downturn within the building business was additionally making him rethink his future in New Zealand.
“Job safety… I am so involved about this, as a result of I do not suppose the way forward for building is trying good, I believe it is happening”
Ronnie, who labored as a metal repairman, stated going for a month with out pay in January was demanding for his household.
“My spouse is sick, she has kidney failure and I am the one one working,” he stated.
“And that point I did not have a job, I am harassed and my spouse and daughter have been actually upset for nearly a month [without pay].”
Ronnie’s household had solely lately obtained residency and stated they nonetheless owed cash to pay for his spouse’s earlier medical payments.
Ronnie stated he tried to talk to the director of the corporate to ask for his wage, however he stated he was advised, “I do not care the place you wish to complain, I do not care.”
He stated he was additionally advised the corporate had been bought.
The Union requires extra accountability from the federal government on the availability chain
First Union is worried that the availability chain for presidency tasks lacks transparency and oversight when it comes to making certain staff’ rights.
Santos stated there needs to be extra accountability on the a part of the federal government.
“As a result of the cash comes from the federal government, they’ve to ensure all contractors, the [subcontractor] below main contractors, or all the provide chain, ought to act ethically and pretty, with respect,” Santos stated.
He additionally needed the federal government to carry the offending corporations accountable.
“The federal government, MBIE must step in and remind these business cowboys that they cannot do that,” he stated.
“Their accreditation [to hire migrant workers] needs to be reviewed and revoked if obligatory.”
In the meantime, information from Stats NZ reveals the development business is experiencing a downturn.
Building quantity decreased 1.6% within the December quarter in comparison with the prior three months as homebuilding fell 2.6% greater than offsetting a 0.4% enhance within the non-residential building.
It was the primary drop in enterprise quantity because the September 2021 quarter when Auckland went into lockdown for 5 weeks.
Santos stated he was involved that there may very well be extra building corporations trying to liquidate that aren’t following the right layoff procedures.
He added that he was involved that there could be different comparable circumstances that the union was unaware of, as union membership was low amongst migrant staff.
