Immigration Review Must Include Labour Standards

Unions want the Government's review of immigration law to include the enforcement of labour standards for new migrants, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.The review was good news and while response to the announcement had focussed on refugees, it was also important to thousands of migrants who were unaware of their employment rights, she said.

"The CTU wants to see increased employment rights education and enforcement of labour standards, including access to training, for new migrants," Carol Beaumont said.

One outcome of the review should be that firms seeking migrants must meet standards that prove they are good employers who will treat their workers fairly.

"Unions support immigration but are concerned that it is not used to undermine the wages and conditions of New Zealand workers," Carol Beaumont said.