NZ factory accused of favoring Pinoys over native workers

MANILA, Philippines - A factory in New Zealand has been accused of favoring Filipinos over native workers.

According to the New Zealand Herald, government and union officials are currently investigating allegations made against a factory in New Plymouth that reportedly favors migrant workers, especially Filipinos.

In the report, MCK Metals chief executive Pramod Khatri confirmed that his company employed workers from the Philippines in October 2007 under the work skills shortage policy.

He said MCK hired the Filipinos to undertake specialized aluminum welding and polishing after the company failed to get skilled New Zealand workers to fill up the vacancies.

In October 2008, the factory allegedly fired 28 local workers but retained 24 Filipino welders.

"We are asking the question why the migrant workers on short-term visas appear to have been given priority over long-term workers able to give a long-term commitment to the company who have been made redundant," said Engineering, Printing, and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little.

In a separate report, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said that he understood that the Filipinos were originally hired to work for aluminum welding. He was however confused why the firm was so "keen" on retaining them even after their contracts had already ended.

Coleman said the Filipinos were even transferred into steel work that the New Zealanders
were already doing.

"From what the department is telling me, if they had known that MCK Metals were to be laying off people in the near future, these Filipino welders wouldn't have got an extension on their work permits," Coleman said.

Coleman said the government was very concerned about New Zealanders losing jobs to
migrant workers. "If the company had breached immigration policy, action would be taken." - Kimberly Tan, GMANews.TV

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