Labour hire business ProLink went into liquidation in December. It hired out staff to work in warehouses, packing and other activities. Photo / Supplied
Labour hire business ProLink went into liquidation in December. It hired out staff to work in warehouses, packing and other activities. Photo / Supplied
The liquidator of failed Auckland labour hire business ProLink says many Chinese and Vietnamese workers have new visas, enabling them to continue working in this country.
Pritesh Patel said he had liaised with Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment after 190 people lost their jobsbefore Christmas.
A further 60 had been assigned to various employers and it was those 60 he had been able to help, he said.
“Most of these employees have been given a visa by Immigration NZ to seek work elsewhere as opposed to returning back home, mainly to China,” his six-monthly liquidation report said.
Patel said he had secured another accredited employer to take on almost all the employees contracted to work for companies via ProLink after the liquidation was announced.
ProLink was a labour recruitment business where staff were hired to work at other companies. Photo / Supplied
“I’m a migrant from Fiji. At all times, the welfare of these ProLink employees was paramount to me. You’ve got to have a heart.”
Of the 60 employees, about 45 had new visas and new jobs, while a further 15 would soon go to a new accredited employer, he said.
He hopes to be able to distribute holiday pay to all 190 laid-off workers, plus the further 60.
Those 60 were contracted to Gilmours Manukau and North Shore, All Office Furniture, Moana Fisheries, Westpac Mussels, FT Logistics, Trugene Laboratories, Forty Thieves/Nut Butter Company and Paramount Merchandise, according to the latest report.
Patel hired a Mandarin-speaking lawyer to assist him with the liquidation.
ProLink NZ was at 349 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden.
Westpac Mussels Distributors has taken on some of the workers. Photo / Alan Gibson
It was established in 2018 and specialised in hiring Asian immigrants, saying it worked with Immigration New Zealand.
Patel was appointed by shareholder Haiyan (Shirley) Luo of Three Kings.
In December, Patel said he was particularly concerned about the workers, given the timing. He sent them letters with advice about where to turn for help.
“I’ve arranged a Chinese-speaking lawyer to assist them with their visas and immigration. I’ve also contacted Rotary at Botany Downs to organise food parcels. This is so sad, just before Christmas,” Patel said last year.
In 2017, the Heraldreported ProLink director Luo was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges brought under the Immigration Act and Tax Administration Act.
She used fake birth documents to bring a child here from China and three companies evaded $423,000 in taxes.
A spokeswoman for Immigration New Zealand said the agency had received complaints about Prolink NZ.
The latest six-monthly ProLink statement of affairs projects a $3.8 million deficit. Inland Revenue is owed approximately $2.4m alone but a full tax audit is still pending.
Wages and holiday pay of $83,000 is a liability along with $1.5m owed to unsecured creditors.
Patel said he was satisfied he could help so many of the employees who might have otherwise had to leave New Zealand.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
