Pay Decent Wages, Or Do Your Business Elsewhere

Restaurant owners who complain they will no longer be able to employ cheap labour should remember which country they are in, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“They bring workers in on skilled visas, often from their home countries, but are not prepared to pay fair salaries. It’s a rort. Many of these ‘chefs’ are not skilled at all.

“There were 10,000 immigrants listed as chefs in the last five years. Many were just workers being brought in to work on low pay.

“Now some restaurant owners say new laws requiring a skilled immigrant to be earning at least $49,000 will ruin them. Two restaurant owners reportedly said none of their staff earn that much.
“The owner of three restaurants, a motel and massage business says she will have to pass the cost on to customers. Seriously. So, how did she acquire so many businesses? One would guess by making a profit by paying low wages. This owner is one of many trying to turn New Zealand into a Third World country.
“We know there are huge rorts in the hospitality industry.

“Some restaurants rip off foreign students by demanding they pay to get a job, and others employ them on a low hourly rate for cash.

“There have been numerous prosecutions but there are too many migrants for the lowly staffed Labour Inspectorate. As the owners point out themselves, there is a lot of competition,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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