By Gurbir Singh:
The Employment Relations Authority(ERA), New Zealand has today made Jujhar Singh, the previous owner of Binde Enterprises Ltd, personally liable for payment of the outstanding amount of nearly $120,000.
Jujhar had liquidated his company after being penalised nearly $4,30,000 for exploiting workers following a Labour Inspectorate investigation which uncovered nearly $210,000 in wages owed to 75 migrants working on a vegetable farm.
He has been given three months to pay the full outstanding amount.
Jujhar Singh,who was in horticulture contracting business, was prosecuted in Dec 2016 and ordered to pay $220,000 in penalties and $208,184 in arrears to its 75 employees by ERA for serious employment law breaches, including failure to pay minimum wage, provide holiday pay, or keep accurate wage or time records.
“This sends a clear message to employers that if minimum employment standards are breached and workers are exploited, closing down the business will not get its owners or directors off the hook,” says Kevin Finnegan, Labour Inspector Horticulture lead in a media release this morning.
The Labour Inspectorate has also called upon all former workers of Binde Enterprises to come forward, as they may have monies owed to them which can be claimed back through these determinations. This can be done by workers phoning the call centre on 0800 20 90 20 with their IRD number and contact details.
News story also published by this Journalist in PressReader.com
