Department of Immigration officials are auditing a number of Bay kiwifruit contractors after an illegal migrant was found working for one of Seeka Kiwifruit Industries' contractors.
A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) spokeswoman said visa issues and problems with holiday pay were among the issues discovered by inspectors, but she could not go into detail until the audits results are released later this month. Seeka's 41 contractors and sub-contractors would be audited.
"In November 2013 it was found a Seeka Kiwifruit Industries Limited contractor was systematically not complying with employment standards and employing an illegal migrant. MBIE cannot comment further on this case as it is still under investigation, she said in a written statement.
"As a result of this case, the Labour Inspectorate and Immigration New Zealand launched a series of audits of Seeka's contractors engaged for the 2014 harvest, with the visits commencing on Monday 12th May."
Seeka is an accredited employer under the Recognised Seasonal Employer policy, which allows horticulture and viticulture industries to recruit workers from overseas for seasonal work when they can't find enough New Zealand staff, she said.