On September 29, the New Zealand government announced the Worker Protection Bill to protect migrant workers from exploitation.
In one sentence, the unscrupulous employers are trembling now, and the migrant workers who are being "bullied" can also stand up boldly!
The government completed the Review of the Exploitation of Temporary Migrant Workers in 2020, and the bill announced yesterday was used to introduce other reform measures remaining in the review.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Deputy Minister of Workplace Relations and Security, said the bill is a comprehensive plan to eliminate the exploitation of New Zealand immigrants.
"We must ensure that we educate immigrant workers so that they know their rights and interests, and better protect exploited people by providing more support and allowing employers who exploit others to be responsible."
The new bill contains the following contents:
* Significantly strengthen the criminal punishment mechanism;
* Introduce new violations for non-compliance (Infringement offence);
* A new community-led pilot project to allow workers and employers to receive education related to employment rights;
* Use reporting tools to allow exploitation to surface;
* Continue to protect workers reporting on exploitation through protective visas.
Under the new bill:
* Persons convicted of exploitation of immigration or trafficking of human beings will be disqualified from managing or supervising a company;
* Three additional crimes under the Immigration Act;
* Provide immigration officials with the power to (request) presentation/disclosure of documents;
* Allow labor inspectors and immigration officials to issue notices of crimes to employers who do not provide the required documents within a reasonable time;
* Expand the stand-down list to cover crimes under the Immigration Act.
Deputy Minister Radhakrishnan said that the bill will introduce new measures while strengthening existing measures.
"Introduction of violations will ensure that timely and minor violations are made. For example, refusal to provide employment documents can be processed and avoided from deterioration."
A person convicted of exploitation of immigration will be disqualified from management and management of the company, and his name will be registered publicly.
Reforms to protect migrant workers from exploitation were introduced in July 2021, including the (anti-)migrant Exploitation Protection Visa. As of July 2022, a total of 119 (anti-)immigrant exploitation protection visas were issued to protect workers.
"These initiatives have allowed more people to stand up and report on immigration exploitation. From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, there were 956 reports, far higher than 173 a year ago."
The Deputy Minister also added that the Workers Protection Act has taken another step in the right direction to ensure that migrant workers and New Zealand workers receive equal treatment.
"We need to work together to eliminate immigration exploitation and ensure that those who come to New Zealand are treated fairly and dignifiedly."
