As an immigrant myself, it does not matter to me where the owner of the four square is from; to do this to anyone is really vile, but to do it to people of your own nationality and take advantage of their trust in communicating with you in their own language is just despicable, and if the employers are not citizens, such exploitation crimes warrant extradition.
I imagine underpaying ( or not al all) and abuse of migrant labour is absolutely rife here, still a bit rich of Trump with tariffs, USA not exactly an example of fair labour practices. I wonder how the staffing levels at Dept of Labour & Immigration have been affected over last couple of years?, reduced so much that these cases just aren't being investigated, (or these employers being monitored), in a timely manner as not enough staff?
On another note where are cartoons in The Post this week?
Couldn’t have them calling out the current government prior to election. That has made up my mind to cancel The Post subscription, I was only getting it for the Cartoons & some Opinion pieces.
Bernard, if you want to know what is happening with the RSE scheme, you would do well to talk to Richard Beford or his daughter Charlotte. Richard and Charlotte are likely NZ's best informed researchers in terms of RSE workers.
The argument or perception of Aotearoa as a fair or ‘good’ employer doesn’t hold a shred of credibility when one considers the treatment of wāhine à la pay equity, the mass redundancies across the public sector, or the ongoing mistreatment of workers across the health sector.
Listening to an orchardist this morning on RNZ, he made fair points about the unappealing nature of the short-contract work for locals, and therefore the need for RSE workers. And he made a fair point about the burdensome regulation for "good" (established) employers. However, the typical 'Stanford Shadow' is again in play here, hiding private consultancy and lobbyist advice from the public so she can tick off another item on her to-do list, by sneaking in some half-cocked regulation that will undoubtedly enable bad actors, in ways that we won't discover the horrific damage from until years from now.
Great work Bernard. This is sure the underbelly of our low wage economy. Are you sure Labour said they were opposed to decoupling the employer and worker in visas? In my view, the only way we can improve this situation is for a Fair Pay Agreement across the whole RSE scheme and others so w workers can take employment rights with them from job to job. And boosting the Labour Inspectorate. And maybe giving more resources to unions to investigate and prosecute.
Hi Darien, yes it would be great if you could get us to the bottom of this.
BTW. I have to add, these scandals are reminiscent of the circumstances that gave rise to Rutherford Waddell's 1888 sermon on 'The Sin of Cheapness' and the 1890 Sweating Commission to which it in turn gave rise, followed a generation later by the founding of the NZ Labour Party. Of course, back then, most New Zealanders thought that such things could never happen again, and that we would be living some kind of utopia by the time Sir Julius Vogel's Anno Domini 2000 rolled by.
"Déjà vu all over again," as a famous New Yorker (Yogi Berra, not Trump) used to say, sadly enough.
Seems worth mentioning that Bernard covered the reopening of NZ to cheaper intl labour in 2022, following industry demands. I recall a description at one point of a business sector addicted to exploiting cheap foreign labour and unwilling to pay the rates needed to attract local supply. https://thekaka.substack.com/p/breaking-govt-opening-borders-to?
It’s a sign of the lack of common sense among any commentators or pundits these days that thinks the RBNZ has an ‘inflation only’ mandate. If that were the case and it was taken even partially seriously, NZ wouldn’t have a permanent ‘cost of living’ crisis, a cash rate well over a percentage point below the inflation rate for a long time now (negative real interest rates) and guys like Bernard endorsing lower rates in perpetuity so we increase the private debt load & juice up the wealthy balance sheets. It’s kind of dull to hear now
Well, perhaps if the costs of land and mortgage interest had not been removed from the CPI in 1999 (true!) the inflation-only mandate might be a bit more meaningful. It would, of course, mean that inflation would quite clearly not have been brought under control, but at least our discussions about the issue would be better informed.
It’s just more institutional embarrassment. ‘We are an inflation targeting Central Bank’ except we do our best to manipulate actual inflation data lower and then treat the persistent cost of living crisis with persistent negative real rates. Complete clown show
Just when you thought that this vile government couldn't get any worse, we're advised that Dr Claire Achmed, the courageous & brilliant Childrens Commissioner has been sacked by the vile Louise Upston. Claire has consistently spoken truth to power when challenging this government's appalling record on child poverty, homelessness & deprivation. Upston, who lives comfortably on a tax payer funded six figure salary plus a $52,000 annual housing allowance which pays her to live in her own property, didn't want to be reminded by Claire that hundreds of thousands of NZ children are having their futures cut short by enduring endless & unnecessary poverty. So Claire was sacked.
Winston Peters must be one of the “most flexible” politicians of our times.
One day he supports something and the next day or two, sometimes a little longer, he’s in complete opposition… at least verbally (see also Regulatory Standard Bills, Covid Measures, Interislander Ferries).
How anyone can support such a turncoat is way beyond my imagination?
Bernard will be pleased to see the crashing and burning of leveraged Korean retail investors in the KOSPI. An insane number of margin calls per capita. People tend to use cheap credit and rates well below where they should be to try and get ahead, and it always fails. Moar transfers upwards
As an immigrant myself, it does not matter to me where the owner of the four square is from; to do this to anyone is really vile, but to do it to people of your own nationality and take advantage of their trust in communicating with you in their own language is just despicable, and if the employers are not citizens, such exploitation crimes warrant extradition.
I imagine underpaying ( or not al all) and abuse of migrant labour is absolutely rife here, still a bit rich of Trump with tariffs, USA not exactly an example of fair labour practices. I wonder how the staffing levels at Dept of Labour & Immigration have been affected over last couple of years?, reduced so much that these cases just aren't being investigated, (or these employers being monitored), in a timely manner as not enough staff?
On another note where are cartoons in The Post this week?
The Post has dropped a cartoonist and now has a couple of days a week without a cartoon.
Which cartoonist did they drop? An indication of a political bias by the new editor?
Emma Cook, and yes! Frank Did a Substack on this including some magnificent cartoons
Couldn’t have them calling out the current government prior to election. That has made up my mind to cancel The Post subscription, I was only getting it for the Cartoons & some Opinion pieces.
You could pay your sub to sign up to Emma's own page which I have just done. And read Frank's substack: priceless.
Thanks I will, I complained to the Post, got usual BS reply.
Bernard, if you want to know what is happening with the RSE scheme, you would do well to talk to Richard Beford or his daughter Charlotte. Richard and Charlotte are likely NZ's best informed researchers in terms of RSE workers.
https://www.hortnz.co.nz/news-events-and-media/media-releases/rse-conference-on-of-the-most-important-annual-events
Brilliant. Great suggestion Colin.
The argument or perception of Aotearoa as a fair or ‘good’ employer doesn’t hold a shred of credibility when one considers the treatment of wāhine à la pay equity, the mass redundancies across the public sector, or the ongoing mistreatment of workers across the health sector.
Horrific stories
Listening to an orchardist this morning on RNZ, he made fair points about the unappealing nature of the short-contract work for locals, and therefore the need for RSE workers. And he made a fair point about the burdensome regulation for "good" (established) employers. However, the typical 'Stanford Shadow' is again in play here, hiding private consultancy and lobbyist advice from the public so she can tick off another item on her to-do list, by sneaking in some half-cocked regulation that will undoubtedly enable bad actors, in ways that we won't discover the horrific damage from until years from now.
Note: National has ruled out working with Opportunity but hasn't ruled out working with Christopher Luxon
Great work Bernard. This is sure the underbelly of our low wage economy. Are you sure Labour said they were opposed to decoupling the employer and worker in visas? In my view, the only way we can improve this situation is for a Fair Pay Agreement across the whole RSE scheme and others so w workers can take employment rights with them from job to job. And boosting the Labour Inspectorate. And maybe giving more resources to unions to investigate and prosecute.
Hi Darien, yes it would be great if you could get us to the bottom of this.
BTW. I have to add, these scandals are reminiscent of the circumstances that gave rise to Rutherford Waddell's 1888 sermon on 'The Sin of Cheapness' and the 1890 Sweating Commission to which it in turn gave rise, followed a generation later by the founding of the NZ Labour Party. Of course, back then, most New Zealanders thought that such things could never happen again, and that we would be living some kind of utopia by the time Sir Julius Vogel's Anno Domini 2000 rolled by.
"Déjà vu all over again," as a famous New Yorker (Yogi Berra, not Trump) used to say, sadly enough.
Horrific! Like Slave labour.
Seems worth mentioning that Bernard covered the reopening of NZ to cheaper intl labour in 2022, following industry demands. I recall a description at one point of a business sector addicted to exploiting cheap foreign labour and unwilling to pay the rates needed to attract local supply. https://thekaka.substack.com/p/breaking-govt-opening-borders-to?
I see the government has made an announcement about RSE workers.
Thanks for once again opening this immediately Bernard. As a subscriber, I want this kind of content spread as widely as possible. Kia kaha.
It’s a sign of the lack of common sense among any commentators or pundits these days that thinks the RBNZ has an ‘inflation only’ mandate. If that were the case and it was taken even partially seriously, NZ wouldn’t have a permanent ‘cost of living’ crisis, a cash rate well over a percentage point below the inflation rate for a long time now (negative real interest rates) and guys like Bernard endorsing lower rates in perpetuity so we increase the private debt load & juice up the wealthy balance sheets. It’s kind of dull to hear now
Well, perhaps if the costs of land and mortgage interest had not been removed from the CPI in 1999 (true!) the inflation-only mandate might be a bit more meaningful. It would, of course, mean that inflation would quite clearly not have been brought under control, but at least our discussions about the issue would be better informed.
It’s just more institutional embarrassment. ‘We are an inflation targeting Central Bank’ except we do our best to manipulate actual inflation data lower and then treat the persistent cost of living crisis with persistent negative real rates. Complete clown show
Just when you thought that this vile government couldn't get any worse, we're advised that Dr Claire Achmed, the courageous & brilliant Childrens Commissioner has been sacked by the vile Louise Upston. Claire has consistently spoken truth to power when challenging this government's appalling record on child poverty, homelessness & deprivation. Upston, who lives comfortably on a tax payer funded six figure salary plus a $52,000 annual housing allowance which pays her to live in her own property, didn't want to be reminded by Claire that hundreds of thousands of NZ children are having their futures cut short by enduring endless & unnecessary poverty. So Claire was sacked.
Winston Peters must be one of the “most flexible” politicians of our times.
One day he supports something and the next day or two, sometimes a little longer, he’s in complete opposition… at least verbally (see also Regulatory Standard Bills, Covid Measures, Interislander Ferries).
How anyone can support such a turncoat is way beyond my imagination?
Bernard will be pleased to see the crashing and burning of leveraged Korean retail investors in the KOSPI. An insane number of margin calls per capita. People tend to use cheap credit and rates well below where they should be to try and get ahead, and it always fails. Moar transfers upwards