Outside of the major centres “inherent conservatism in business and parochial attitudes meant some employers have difficulty with employing migrants,” we were told. Prior to visiting the Queenstown Lakes District, newspaper reports indicated an increase in the number of complaints to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau by migrant workers. Typical complaints by migrant employees included not being paid holiday pay, being told they had lesser rights because they were on working holiday visas and being told they were not entitled to leave. Advocacy workers thought that this was just the “tip of the iceberg”. “Migrants,” we were told, “were less likely to complain because they were in the area for a short period of time or would simply find another job elsewhere.”
Support services for migrants are not as readily available in small towns as in urban centres. The importance of settlement support infrastructure was emphasised by both migrants and other community workers. In Marlborough the influx of migrant seasonal labourers meant a greater demand for immigration support services. The absence of a regionally based office in Blenheim, where demand is the highest, meant Department of Labour officers had to travel from Nelson to address issues of apparent exploitation of migrant workers in the wine industry.
Employers in a number of areas, the Marlborough wine industry, the Southland dairy industry and Bay of Plenty fruit growers, talked about rogue operators who harmed the reputation of their sector. One participant said “KGI (Kiwifruit Growers Institute) have done a marvellous job of squeezing out the rat-bag contractors who were employing illegal workers and exploiting them.” A Southland farmer said: “It affects the whole industry; they (fair employers) don’t like people muddying the mat.” In the Waikato one particular advocate for decent working rights in the rural sector wrote, “I was reminded that our community has a ‘duty of care’ towards its workers. I am talking of the honest hardworking ones who have the misfortune to encounter unreasonable and pedantic employers. Communities must ensure that such soul-destroying experiences do not continue. It is not acceptable that we sit back. These concerns must be addressed.”
Best practice included decent working conditions, fair pay, identified hours and days off and responsible pastoral care. This includes employers’ commitment to community development back in a worker’s place of origin, such as in some Pacific Islands. For example, the Mayor of Queenstown, Clive Geddes spoke about a transient workforce that comes to Queenstown from surrounding towns and districts and the need to put philanthropy back into seasonal migrant employment schemes so that Pacific Island communities benefit at home.