Red Aguhar, one of the laid-off ELE workers from the Philippines, is living out of his car in West Auckland.
Video / Michael Craig
Sacked Filipino carpenter Red Aguhar is sleeping in his Toyota Aqua on an Auckland street because he has no money to pay rent.
“I lost my job and I’m sleeping in my car like a shrimp,” said the 47-year-old who was working for ELE until December 20 when its ownercalled in Deloitte receivers.
That resulted in more than 1000 workers losing their jobs, including about 750 Filipinos.
Aguhar was earning about $800 per week on a Jennian Homes housing site in Greymouth until the pre-Christmas layoffs so he drove to Auckland to get support.
He can’t afford to pay rent and has no money for petrol or food.
“I have a family to support, sending money to my daughters, brothers, my mother and my wife,” said the father of two daughters aged 19 and 15, one at university and the other at high school.
If he doesn’t get a job soon, he fears for his work visa, ability to survive here, particularly making car repayments.
Mikee Santos, Union Network of Migrants’ co-ordinator, said a number of ex-ELE workers were sleeping in their cars in Auckland.
Red Aguhar says he is "like a shrimp" curled up on the back seat of his car to sleep. Photo / Michael Craig
A huge foodbank drive was held just before Christmas. Santos said Woolworths Henderson on Lincoln Road had donated vouchers and food supplies. Aguhar had a cardboard box with instant noodles and biscuits inside.
Two employers had offered him jobs but he was yet to see contracts and ensure visa terms could be complied with, Aguhar said.
He emigrated to New Zealand last May after seven years working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he earned $1070 a month which included free accommodation and transport to construction sites. Back in the Philippines, he could only earn about $71 each week, he said.
But the big draw of New Zealand was the prospect of bringing his family here once he got established. There was no hope of that in Saudi Arabia, he said.
Santos said more than a million Filipino workers were forced to go overseas to find work to support their families.
First Union is holding meetings for ex-ELE workers around New Zealand: yesterday in Christchurch, today at 2pm in Onehunga, tomorrow in Hamilton and on Saturday in Wellington.
Santos said the governments of New Zealand and the Philippines “urgently” needed to provide help to the sacked workers.
He praised Aguhar for speaking out, saying most of the other sacked workers were too afraid to reveal their plight.
Meanwhile, ELE owner Brent Mulholland this week pleaded for clients to pay money so those workers could be paid, indicating some clients were taking advantage of the situation.
Mulholland put ELE, ELE Holdings, ELE Management, Tranzport Solutions and RISQ New Zealand into receivership.
Hindsight: Red Aguhar wonders now about the wisdom of coming to New Zealand after being sacked by ELE. Photo / Michael Craig
Deloitte’s David Webb and Rob Campbell were appointed receivers and managers but are yet to issue their first report showing what happened and how much money is owed to the business.
Webb said this week the receivers were working with the support of a dedicated team of ELE staff.
People continued through Christmas and New Year, “working with all stakeholders impacted by the receivership, including employees”.
“We are aware that many ELE workers, particularly those with visas linked to their employment with the ELE group, are experiencing financial and mental hardship. The receivers remain focused on connecting those people with both potential employers and Immigration New Zealand, as well as relevant support agencies, such as Ministry of Social Development.
“On behalf of those affected parties, we are also appreciative of the ELE customers who have worked over the holiday period to ensure payments of amounts owing to the group have been made on time,” Webb said.
Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand, based in Ōnehunga, is taking accommodation offers for the workers. The organisation’s email address is migranteaotearoanz@gmail.com.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
