Migrant workers face the brunt of economic slowdown.

Whenever an economic downslide arrives migrant workers face the heat. They are welcomed by employers with great enthusiasm when there is a need for skilled or unskilled workers, but the welcome sign is instantly converted into a no-entry board the moment jobs become scarce.

The latest demonstration of this attitude comes as a complaint from a New Zealand welder Stephen Bovett who said that he along with his New Zealand citizen co-workers were shown the exit door from New Plymouth firm MCK Metals while the company retained Filipino welders. He is furious and we all have sympathy with him as he has his family to look after. According to him, it’s the Filipino workers who should be made to leave. Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has taken up the issue and expressed his views by saying that Stephen and his co-workers might not have been treated in a fair manner.

In a similar incident, twenty-nine New Zealand workers were shown the exit door at CWF Hamilton in Christchurch and even there, migrant workers on work permits were retained on their respective jobs.

The unions involved with the issues have stood by the side of New Zealand workers and with it is the general public opinion. But the fact is that this view is too narrow minded and is absolutely biased while targeting the immigrants who are just doing what they came here to do- earn money for themselves and their families.

Those who are to be blamed for this are neither New Zealanders nor migrant workers.

Once immigrants are here in New Zealand they should have the same rights like anyone else to live, work and earn. Why do we forget that even these people have families to look after, and in most cases are in more desperate positions than us.

But unfortunately, unwarranted attacks on migrant workers are a trend which we have been witnessing since long.

In most cases, these immigrants have spent the savings of their lives to come to New Zealand after paying huge amounts to many bloodsucking agents. The bottom line is that after they are here even they deserve to be treated the same way and enjoy the same rights as did our parents, grandparents or earlier antecedents who were themselves migrants here.

So instead of pointing towards them as enemies, our unions should rather display leadership and recognize that there is a common cause between all workers, whether from New Zealand or from any other place.