Inside iD Fashion Week

A Business with Heart

"It's a family ..it's a place to offer employment .. its a Southland institution."

Ian Beker finds there's no one description of Southland Disability Enterprises.  The business enterprise employs more than 100 people, most of whom have intellectual, physical and neurological disabilities.

But he's concerned that proposed changes to the minimum wage exemption permit may threaten the viability of the business and, with it, the future employment of these workers.

The Minimum Wage Debate

At October 2015 there were 817 workers around the country earning less than the minimum wage, having been granted an exemption permit by the Labour Inspectorate.

The permit scheme is for employees who are limited by a disability in carrying out the requirements of their work.

But the Ministry of Social development is currently looking at measures to replace the permit. The General Manager of Ageing Disability and International, Sacha O"Dea said the change has been part of New Zealand's Disability Action Plan since 2014.

 

But the Ministry is now reviewing the exemption scheme to bring it into line with article ?? from the United Nations Convention for Persons with Disabilities which requires equal remuneration for equal work.

The Ministry's General Manager of Ageing, Disability and International Policy, Sacha O’Dea, says ??

But Ian Beker argued that employment at Southland Disability Enterprises was about more than the money and offered friendship and a quality of life to workers.

He said, if he was required to pay minimum wage to all its workers, it would not be financially viable, because of the poor commodity market and the drop in returns of recycled goods in recent years. 

He said a move to minimum wage would force him to automate his recycling sort line, dropping the number of disabled workers from 30 to three.

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The Faces of a Loyal Workforce

Ian Thompson enjoys the camaraderie at SDE and says ???

Many of the staff work in the e-scrap department breaking household equipment like power meters down into recyclable material or as Ian Beker puts it "a valuable secondary resource" ??

He says ?? re cost per

Greg Duncan loves the job and says the workforce at SDE is like a giannt family ??

Michael Casey enjoys the physical element of the job and says the people are so nice. A supervisor in the department, May Frewen, says its more than a job.

Rosemarie Whyte admits she found life more difficult before coming to this workplace and says she was picked on at school. She says things have improved since she joined SDE ?? years ago

Sam Nielson is grateful to have a job as he says his epilepsy meant businesses were loath to take him on.

Mr Beker took on ?? etc show what I can do

Aaron Wild ???

 

The Minimum Wage Debate

There are currently about ??? workers around the country who have a minimum wage exemption permit.

This scheme allows them to earn a wage according to their abilities. The Ministry of Social Development says the scheme started ???

But the Ministry is now reviewing the exemption scheme to bring it into line with article ?? from the United Nations Convention for Persons with Disabilities which requires equal remuneration for equal work.

The Ministry's General Manager of Ageing, Disability and International Policy, Sacha O’Dea, says ??

But Ian Beker argued that employment at Southland Disability Enterprises was about more than the money and offered friendship and a quality of life to workers.

He said, if he was required to pay minimum wage to all its workers, it would not be financially viable, because of the poor commodity market and the drop in returns of recycled goods in recent years. 

He said a move to minimum wage would force him to automate his recycling sort line, dropping the number of disabled workers from 30 to three.

Need more here

 

 

 

After more than 25 years as the general manager, Mr Beker is preparing to retire from a business he says

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