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RSE workers are either housed in motels & camping ground cabins; rental houses owned by the RSE provider and rented out for RSE workers; & purpose-built units. RSE workers that we spoke to were charged between $150 to $175 per week for accommodation, which included power & water.
RSE Workers’ most frequent question to us was whether this cost was reasonable when the standard practice was for two to seven workers to share a bedroom. In some situations, this meant an employer was charging over $1,000 per week per bedroom.
We visited some of the motels or camping ground cabins rented out by employers which the RSE workers paid in weekly rent. The rooms were often cold, damp, and in some cases mouldy. No one in Aotearoa New Zealand should be living in these conditions!
Every worker that we spoke to said that the total weekly deductions were too high, leaving them with little to spend on themselves. Some were left with as little as $35 net pay at the end of a fortnight.
* Disclaimer: Some details may be distressing.
#Thread
#RSEscheme
* Disclaimer: Some details may be distressing.
#Thread
#RSEscheme
Some RSE workers told us they were being charged for the tools of the trade, such as gloves, boots, and pruning and trimming equipment to perform the job when they were employees and not contractors.
All workers we spoke to were charged between $20-$45p/w for transport between the accommodation & work site. One group bought their own vehicle but was told by the employer they couldn't use it & must use company van instead. The workers said they were forced to sell the vehicle.
Since early January, my team and I consulted with over 20 RSE workers in Northland and over 60 workers in Marlborough and visited eight accommodation sites to inquire into RSE workers’ work and living conditions.
* Disclaimer: Some details may be distressing.
#Thread
#RSEscheme
* Disclaimer: Some details may be distressing.
#Thread
#RSEscheme
Many RSE workers told us their employers placed them under curfews and geographical restrictions. They couldn't leave their designated region without permission from their employer. They even needed to ask their property managers or employers for permission to have visitors over.
We heard of how married couples that come to work under the RSE scheme are separated from their partners for the duration of their employment. In 2020, a husband and wife were reprimanded by their employer for choosing to spend one night together.
