Ethnic chefs on the chopping block

Chefs (from left) Matsumoto Shinichi, Morita Masaru, Nakajima Kenji and Wakamori Jiro at Ariake Restaurant and Sushi Bar. Photo / Dean Purcell

Specialist ethnic restaurants say they face an uphill battle to retain chefs after changes to job laws that favour a "Kiwi first" policy.

Ariake Restaurant and Sushi Bar, which has been open in downtown Auckland for almost 30 years, says it is now "almost impossible" to recruit from Japan - which it has been doing since 1980 - because Immigration New Zealand says there are New Zealanders available for jobs.

Manager Miyuki Sakairi says her efforts to retain chefs with years of training are hampered by labour law changes.

Immigration New Zealand said that since the Essential Skills policy came into effect last July, it had been made mandatory for officers processing work permit applications to request a labour market test to ensure there were no New Zealanders available for the vacancies.

But an increasing number of migrant workers and their employers are feeling the impact only now as permits start to expire.

Ms Sakairi says she now had to re-advertise the job and register with Work and Income New Zealand even if she wanted to continue employing the same employee in the same position.

"It is so ridiculous, because Winz will tell Immigration there are suitable New Zealanders for the job, but then send us people who are totally unsuitable."

Three Europeans and one Vietnamese were sent by Work and Income to fill waiting positions and a sous chef job. However, none could tell the difference between sushi and sashimi, she said. She declined to employ any of the applicants, and is short of staff.

Ms Sakairi said Immigration had told her there were suitable people registered locally available to fill the job "and/or there are suitable people who are able to be trained for the job".

She added: "I think there is a major problem when we have an immigration department which cannot understand there is a difference between a sushi bar and a fish and chip shop.

"Running a restaurant like ours, we need to have a good balance between staff who have good and intimate knowledge of Japanese food and those who can communicate with our customers.

"We do not have the resources to provide training for unemployed Kiwis who have absolutely no knowledge about Japanese food."

Ms Sakairi said the restaurant employed five locals and 19 Japanese staff, and was in the process of appealing against a decision to decline one application.

Immigration New Zealand said it could not comment on individual cases, but jobs in areas with skill shortages could be filled by migrants if they met all the requirements.