Financially strapped migrant workers protest for wages in wake of ELE collapse

Migrant workers have been protesting today at not receiving their final pay after losing their jobs a month ago.

They are from a group of 500 migrant workers who abruptly lost their jobs last month as the ELE group, a major labour hire and recruitment firm, went into receivership.

Around 30 workers, alongside representatives from First Union and Migrante Aotearoa, protested outside the Deloitte offices in Auckland, asking the receivers to process final payments immediately.

Deloitte is handling the liquidation of ELE.

Protests also took place outside the Deloitte office in Christchurch and at the Philippine Embassy in Wellington.

In Auckland, protesters chanted and held signs with the words, 'Final pay, don't delay'.

Migrante Aotearoa chairperson Mikee Santos said workers were already struggling without their final pay.

"The reason we're here is they can no longer wait. They are unemployed for a month, they cannot pay their rent, and they are already in hardship.

"They are living everyday off noodles and food packs. If they can live off food packs, they cannot miss their car payments and their rent."

Santos said getting these minimal entitlements would help workers make their immediate payments, and support families back home.

"Migrant workers, they send significant amount, maybe 70 percent of their earnings, back to the Philippines to support their kids and their wives and their families."

General secretary of First Union Dennis Maga called on the government to make a statement and improve security for migrant workers in New Zealand.

"It's been a month now since the government heard [about] the shutdown of the ELE labour hire company, but we haven't heard any single word from Immigration Minister Erica Stanford," he said.

"We're hoping that the government will issue a statement to say this is a priority for them."

At the end of the protest, Maga said they had received an offer from Deloitte about the final payments, and would be heading back to their offices to discuss.

"We've been communicating with Deloitte, and we will be discussing a proposal from the company with our members today."

He said they hoped the final pay would be made in the coming weeks.

Some workers in capital in 'grim situation' - union

Meanwhile, in Wellington around 30 people protested outside the Philippine Embassy calling for better support for the 500 Filipino workers who lost their jobs at ELE group before Christmas.

First Union regional secretary Sheryl Cadman said a lot of workers were struggling.

"No money, no food, no ability to pay rent. Some are in the places that they're renting, some are couch surfing, some are in cars I understand. It's a pretty grim situation for many of them. They're concerned about their jobs, no ability to send any money back home," Cadman said.

Bernard Borra from Migrante Aotearoa has been helping to support some of the Filipino workers and said many of the workers are still searching for jobs or struggling to get new visas.

"Especially the ones who abide with the employer sponsored work visa , they are a work visa but employee sponsored so they are tied to that condition with ELE as their employer. What they are asking is if they will be granted another visa to transfer to any of the employers that could hire them," Borra said.

He said this was why the group was calling on the Philippine government to expedite emergency funds not only for selected ELE workers but all workers effected by the closure.

He said there should be a permanent emergency fund that would help not only ELE workers but others who might be affected in the future.

Cadman said the union had been in contact with the embassy to try and get support for the workers but not all of them had been able to receive it.

She echoed Maga about not hearing directly from Stanford.

"We're really disappointed in that. When you think about it this happened prior to Christmas, prior to everyone going on leave, the current government and Erica Stanford haven't said a word and I think that's shameful.

"I think both the Filipino government and our government need to take a good hard look at themselves really ... we need them [the workers] for our economy and so we have an obligation to look after them when they're in this country and we're not doing that and it's wrong."

The Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff and Cadman knocked on the front door of the embassy to pass on a letter and requested a meeting with the ambassador but were told by an embassy communication staffer it had no comment.

After the protest five police cars arrived but no one was arrested.

Cadman described it as a "complete overreaction."

"It's been completely peaceful, we haven't stopped anyone from going in or out, I just think this is a complete overreaction and I'm quite disappointed.

"I think they've got better things to do quite frankly," Cadman said.

In a statement Stanford said she had received daily and weekly updates from Immigration New Zealand.

"I directed Immigration New Zealand to ensure visa applications for migrants impacted by this situation and accreditation applications for employers wanting to employ migrants impacted, were prioritised and processed quickly.

"Eighty-eight job change requests have been received and 46 have been approved as a matter of priority," Stanford said.

She had sought assurances from Immigration New Zealand that the ministry had tightened its processes on job checks, when she visited the visa processing office in Manukau.

She has requested briefings and advice on how to further tighten policy settings.