Labour MP Camilla Belich is the sponsor of the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill. Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
A Labour bill that would make it a crime for employers to steal workers' wages is one step from becoming law, thanks to the help of government coalition partner New Zealand First.
Currently people who were owed money by their employers had to go through the Employment Relations Authority.
But a member's bill, introduced under the Labour government, passed its second reading on Wednesday night with support from the opposition parties and New Zealand First.
Labour MP Camilla Belich was the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill sponsor. She said workers badly need a law change.
"If an employee steals from their employer, one of the first thing the employer might do is call the police. But if it's the other way around, the employee has to go through quite a lot of complicated civil processes in order to get any of their wages back.
"So this really sends a message that stealing, no matter who it is from, is wrong."
Wage theft was a big problem for migrant workers, Belich said.
During the debate in Parliament, NZ First MP Mark Patterson said his party hadn't been part of the select committee that investigated the bill, but had listened carefully to both sides.
"It is the view of the New Zealand First caucus that this bill is not without some merit," he said.
But he wasn't guaranteeing support all the way through.
"New Zealand First will be supporting this bill through to the committee of the whole House stage.
"We, however, have listened carefully to the concerns on this side of the House. So there are some things that we want to see examined further through that committee stage."
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