Foreign workers treated like 'slaves' in Cook Islands

Transcript

A former Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands has highlighted the mistreatment of foreign workers there, saying some are treated like slaves.  

It's not the first time Norman George has raised the issue but he says he hasn't noticed any change or action from the government.

Koro Vaka'uta reports.

Last December Norman George wrote a column in the Cook Islands News saying there was severe mistreatment of foreign workers. Mr George has spoken out again.

NORMAN GEORGE: "People are poorly paid, given rough accommodation, houses that leak or get flooded out when it rains, overworked and underpaid. People are expected to work like slaves.  Early start in the morning and work till dusk and just because they are non-Cook Islanders there seems to be this attitude that they are there to work and get treated like slaves. It's not fair."

The Cook Islands government says the framework is in place to deal with the mistreatment of foreign workers but the onus is on employees to report it. But Mr George says the workers are vulnerable.

NORMAN GEORGE: "They're earning such low wages that they can't afford to hire lawyers.  There is an exploitation of vulnerable people like these because they are basically told they can't complain or they will be sent back home on the next flight out. Sometimes their passports are seized and they are really subjected to some harsh conditions."   

The Secretary for Internal Affairs, Bredina Drollet, says the seizure of passports is illegal.

BREDINA DROLLET:  "It's against the law. It would be classified as theft. An employer can take the passport to make a copy and do the things they need to but they cannot hold the passport. If they hold the passport, that worker has grounds to take that to the police, for theft."

Ms Drollet points out, the ministry is always available to assist workers.

BREDINA DROLLET: "Workers can bring their issues to the ministry.  The ministry will treat that confidentially until the workers themselves are confident for further action to be taken, so the ministry is always open to hear of those cases.  When I think over the past year, there may have been a few cases where we have had foreign workers come in and just ask about their rights."         

Mr George says it's not good enough and the government needs to be more pro-active by creating a unit to investigate claims and oversee the foreign workforce.  But Ms Drollet says numbers of reported cases don't suggest a major issue and the government is already under a fiscal constraint.

BREDINA DROLLET: "So I think there would only be investment if there is a very strong evidence base to suggest that foreign worker abuse, or any worker abuse, is so widespread."

Mr George says the country needs to remember it is part of the Pacific family.

NORMAN GEORGE: "The closer they are to us in the Pacific, the more we should be more careful how we treat the Fijians in case our own people go across there.  We do have a lot of students there.  Same thing with Samoa.  Same thing with Tonga and the other Pacific countries so it's reciprocal.  Although we don't send workers to these other places, I still feel that you can't restrict human rights only to your citizens.  That should apply across the board."

Bredina Drollet says although she hasn't seen many cases, that is not to say it is not happening and she does understand it can be a difficult situation to cope with.