Declan Clancy: Rising pay rates in Ireland could impact on the Christchurch rebuild

One World Resourcing’s Declan Clancy says rising pay rates for construction workers in Ireland could make New Zealand less attractive to Irish workers.

Media reports in Ireland say that in 2014 the average wage in Ireland dropped 0.2 percent, but earnings for construction workers increased by 4.6 percent.

One World Resourcing’s Christchurch-based chief executive, Declan Clancy, says work opportunities associated with the Christchurch rebuild have attracted workers from Ireland following the downturn in that country’s economy.

“But these statistics suggest that Irish construction workers may not have the same need to look for work overseas as they once did.

“There will always be predominantly young people who will want the experience of living and working in another country. But the need to do so will not be as strong as it has been in recent years.”

Declan Clancy says it is possible more workers from the Philippines will be required to support the Christchurch rebuild.

One World Resourcing is an international human resources services company with operations in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines. It has just introduced a new arrangement with Site Safe, which allows workers in the Philippines to be trained and issued with building and civil construction passports before they arrive in New Zealand. So far, 60 workers have been accredited.

The exclusive arrangement with Site Safe is one component of One World Resourcing’s new Ethical Resourcing Model, which it is pioneering in New Zealand.

The Ethical Resourcing Model seeks to protect Filipino workers from exploitation by:

• Providing an open and transparent recruitment process for all stakeholders.
• Ensuring they are ready to start earning as soon as they arrive in New Zealand by having them Site Safe accredited before leaving the Philippines.
• Removing their reliance on loan sharks in the Philippines (with extortionate rates of between 70% and 200% per annum) through a partnership with ANZ. This will allow Filipino workers brought to New Zealand by One World Resourcing to open a New Zealand bank account and to start a credit history here.
• Ensuring the workers arriving here are met in a culturally sensitive manner through a unique partnership and support structure with the Christchurch Migrants Centre.
• Working with accommodation providers to prevent tenant exploitation.

Site Safe, a national not-for-profit organisation, is dedicated to promoting a culture of health and safety in work, to prevent deaths and injuries in New Zealand's construction and related industries.

ENDS

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