INDEPENDENT NEWS

Regulator says Chorus changes are a chance to lead

Published: Wed 17 Apr 2019 09:26 AM
Employment Services General Manager George Mason says it is appropriate that Chorus are taking a leadership role in addressing the worker exploitation issues found in their supply chain, and is calling for other large companies to do the same.
The Labour Inspectorate is currently taking a large number of compliance actions against Chorus subcontractors who breached a range of minimum employment standards throughout the broadband cabling rollout – mainly in Auckland.
A Chorus response to its independent review on this last week promised a raft of improvements to its contractor model, including implementing a supplier code of practice, minimum requirements across the supply chain, auditing, and improved awareness of its migrant workforce.
“Chorus has now mapped its supply chain, identified those suppliers with an increased level of labour standards compliance risk, and ensured action is taken to fully review and resolve actual issues as they are uncovered. This is an important move and one that we encourage all larger companies or anybody with a contractor supply chain to also initiate,” says Employment Services General Manager, George Mason.
“Businesses need to ensure that they get this right. The lessons from the Chorus report are relevant to all businesses with subcontracted supply chains. I encourage the directors and chief executives from all large enterprises to read the report and ask the hard questions in their organisations. Don’t wait for the Labour Inspectorate to turn up,” he says.
As migrant employees remain one of the most vulnerable worker groups in New Zealand, the inclusion by Chorus of a whistle blower process, a staff welfare portal available in multiple languages and migrant exploitation awareness training are also welcomed by Employment Services.
“More than half of all investigations made by the Labour Inspectorate involve migrant workers, so initiatives like this start to address the pressures and risks that exist for migrant workers.
“But we will be watching closely to see that Chorus adheres to its own recommendations. This is a chance for them to set the scene and lead by example.”
Employment Services has guidance for both employers and employees on employment rights and obligations. Anyone who has information about minimum standards not being met, are advised to phone 0800 20 90 20, where all concerns will be handled in a safe environment.
The Chorus internal review and response can be found here.

Next in Business, Science, and Tech

General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices In Relation To The NZNO Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim
By: Genpro
Global Screen Industry Unites For Streaming Platform Regulation And Intellectual Property Protections
By: SPADA
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media