Adams calls for review of ‘murky’ foreign vessels’ standards

The Government must now urgently review the “murky” pay and working conditions on board foreign charter fishing vessels, United Future's immigration and labour spokesman Paul Adams today as he welcomed the long-awaited report into foreign crew on New Zealand-owned fishing vessels

"This inquiry, which United Future played a significant role in getting off the ground, represents a great first step in resolving the issue of whether foreign workers on fishing boats are undercutting New Zealand labourers by working for less than the minimum wage and generally flouting our employment laws.

"The picture that has emerged in this report as to how much these workers are actually being paid is murky at best and will require extensive further investigation.

“Concrete evidence has emerged of some vessels breaching minimum New Zealand employment requirements and failing to pay the minimum wage to their workers. However, the full extent to which this is occurring has yet to be determined.

“Furthermore, this inquiry only deals with New Zealand-owned fishing vessels. Foreign charter vessels (foreign owned vessels with foreign crews) are even more questionable.

“If foreign charter vessels are able to undercut New Zealand vessels by engaging in such practices, then New Zealand vessels will become increasingly unviable and New Zealand workers will be shut out of the industry completely.”

Once the facts have been established, legislative amendments must follow to remedy it once and for all. It would be better to ban foreign charter vessels altogether than have the current state of affairs continue!

“New Zealanders must have a fair go when it comes to the harvesting their own resources. United Future will not let this matter rest, and we will ensure that it is properly resolved as soon as possible,” Mr Adams said.

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