A security contractor who was racially abused by a manager at an Auckland security firm has been awarded nearly $4000 in unpaid wages and compensation.
The Employment Relations Authority ordered the company to pay unpaid wages and compensation for hurt and humiliation. Photo: 123RF
Enayet Uddin started working on a casual basis for HD Security Services Limited in November 2016.
The company provides security personnel around Auckland.
Mr Uddin and a manager for HD Security Services, Sean Michaels, agreed a deal wherein Mr Uddin would work as and when required, with no guaranteed hours.
He was told that if clients were happy with his performance he would be offered a job as operations manager.
He was paid $20 an hour and was also asked to pay $250 for a uniform, which he would be allowed to keep.
After working about 25 hours over a three-week period between November and December, Mr Uddin asked to speak to Mr Michaels about the fact he had not been paid.
He also wished to discuss the operation manager position.
Mr Michaels continually cancelled appointments and told Mr Uddin to get in touch with the company's operations director to sort out payment.
The operations director gave Mr Uddin a cheque for $366 and a payslip, but when Mr Uddin tried to bank the cheque it bounced, and Mr Uddin stopped working for the company.
He then texted Mr Michaels asking to be paid, at which point Mr Michaels, in an expletive-ridden tirade, told him to go back to his home country.
Mr Michaels said Mr Uddin should return to his "f*** up country, a**hole", and said "no wonder Bangladesh is f***ed up with people like you".
After Mr Uddin said he would file proceedings with the Employment Relations Authority, Mr Michaels replied "please do. I'm not scared of those f***wits. Show them this text."
No representative from HD Security Services turned up to the Employment Relations Authority to answer the assertions.
The authority found in Mr Uddin's favour and ordered the company to pay $3790, made up of $540 in unpaid wages, $2250 for his hurt and humiliation, and a penalty of $1000.