Today, the Labour Department reportedly confirmed that the matter is under their investigation.
On behalf of the liquor store, Kamal Deep, however, has denied all charges of under- or non-payment of wages, and described these allegations as “baseless”.
“Everything was perfectly paid every week. He (Manjinder) is up to date with his wages, including (taxes) with IRD.
“If you are not happy with your job, how long will you wait? Why would anyone work for $7? Why did he work for three years, if he was not happy with this? He is lying to get the money,” Deep remarked.
At this stage, it is one’s word against the other, but Deep asserts that they are ready to fight it out in court if it comes to that.
No doubt, such cases are giving a bad name to employers. When this journalist sought comments from a couple of other Indian employers on this issue, they were first tight-lipped.
But on condition of anonymity, one said that at times employers get wrongly blamed.
Talking about Indian students in general(and not specific to this case), some of them were actually thankless, he said. “They(students) are given work when they need it most, but recent changes in immigration rules have made them jittery, as most won’t qualify for residency. So, some of them file frivolous complaints against employers to gain sympathy of the authorities, thinking this will give them a chance to stay on in New Zealand”,he added.
This is not the first case of alleged exploitation of migrant workers or international students that have surfaced. The government has already cracked down on migrant labour exploitation, and heavy penalties are imposed on employers, if it is proved.
Ultimate sufferers would, however, be international students who would now find it harder to get work. Employers may think twice before hiring them for the risk of facing allegations subsequently.
