Autopride Cars Limited ordered to pay $170,000 for migrant exploitation
Autopride Cars Limited has been ordered to pay $170,000 in fines and reparations for the exploitation of two migrant workers. The company subjected the workers to sub-minimum wages, long hours, and threats regarding their immigration status.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing issue of migrant labor exploitation and the legal consequences for employers who abuse vulnerable workers.
An Upper Hutt-based car dealer has been ordered to pay more than $170,000 for exploiting two migrant workers who were underpaid and denied basic worker protections.
Autopride Cars Limited was fined $100,000 and ordered to pay $70,654.06 in reparations by the Hutt Valley District Court.
The company was convicted in May in relation to two charges of exploiting temporary or unlawful workers, in connection with the treatment of two migrant workers during 2023.
The victims had arrived in New Zealand on visitor visas and were later recruited by Autopride Cars Limited. Both were made to work long hours for cash pay without employment agreements, tax registration, or basic worker protections.
An Immigration New Zealand investigation found each worker had worked at least six days a week, typically for around nine hours a day, and were paid $100 cash per day.
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