NZ Workers Win $400K+ in Migrant Exploitation Case

Justice arrived for four migrant workers in New Zealand who courageously stood up against an employer who exploited their vulnerable position.

Indo Kiwi Horticulture Limited and its former director, Boota Singh Dhillon, were ordered to pay more than $400,000 total after the Employment Relations Authority found they had systematically underpaid workers and demanded illegal payments. The penalties represent a significant win for workplace fairness in New Zealand's agricultural sector.

The four Indian nationals worked on employer-specific visas, making them heavily dependent on their employer for both income and immigration status. Three of them had been forced to pay more than $65,000 in unlawful premiums, with some money flowing to bank accounts linked to Dhillon's family members in India.

The company supplied workers to kiwifruit orchards around the Bay of Plenty. After the Labour Inspectorate received a complaint in July 2024 and launched an investigation, they discovered the workers had been denied minimum wages and basic employment entitlements.

The penalties break down into $176,000 for the company and $88,000 for Dhillon personally. On top of that, the company must repay more than $152,000 in wage arrears, holiday pay, and those illegal premiums.

The Ripple Effect

Each of the four workers will receive $33,000 from the penalties as compensation for what they endured. That money comes separate from the $152,000 in wages and premiums they're owed.

Labour Inspectorate migrant exploitation manager Natalie Gardiner made clear that demanding money from workers in exchange for employment is strictly prohibited. The Authority found Indo Kiwi Horticulture had gained an unfair competitive advantage by withholding wages and benefits from vulnerable workers.

The ruling sends a powerful message to other employers that exploiting workers carries real consequences. Dhillon sold the company in October 2024, and it has since stopped operating.

These four workers' willingness to come forward helped expose practices that harm vulnerable migrant workers throughout New Zealand's agricultural industry, potentially protecting countless others from similar exploitation.