climate shock! 3C in Southland is bad for anyone, let alone someone from a more tropical climate
adjust from 35 degrees Celsius in Manila to 3C in Southland in June. They need warm clothes and thermals
Migrant dairy workers have tough start, study shows
Last updated 05:00 07/05/2012
Southland dairy farmers are throwing new migrant workers in at the deep end of the dairy season, under-prepared and probably under-paid, a Lincoln University academic says.
University researcher Rupert Tipples said Southland dairy farmers customarily employed migrants around gypsy day so they began work at the high-stress calving season.
Migrants should be employed in January when it was less hectic and the weather was warmer, he said. "Migrants come with a suitcase of clothes which aren't appropriate, to adjust from 35 degrees Celsius in Manila to 3C in Southland in June. They need warm clothes and thermals."
While his research team had not asked farmers how much they paid new migrants, or the hours they worked, when they interviewed them in Winton last month there were indications the migrants were working very long hours, Dr Tipples said.
"You only have to take the reasonably typical levels of pay, and divide it by the number of hours, and you suddenly start wondering where the minimum pay rate comes in. The length of time they are working, in relation to what they are being paid overall, is perhaps illegal."
Filipino dairy worker Galelio Chiu Jr said he had worked in the New Zealand dairy industry for four years, most of that in Southland. His first three months were in Reefton and were the toughest as he had struggled with the new weather, food, culture and language, he said.
He signed a contract to milk 800 cows but ended up milking 1700, he said. His salary package was about $38,000, but he worked 80-hour weeks, so his pay was below minimum wage, he said. Mr Chiu later moved to Southland to work for Argentine Leo Pekar and has since moved to Waikaia.
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