LABOUR
RACISM IN THE NZ JOB MARKET

The irony for many Indo-Fijians leaving Fiji for New Zealand is that they intended to escape overt racism and discrimination, not knowing they were jumping in the middle of it.

By THAKUR RANJIT SINGH, in Indian Newslink, No 19, April 15

Feedback to the Toktok page


AS AN Indo-Fijian, I appreciate the predicament of many of our people migrating. The irony of many leaving Fiji for New Zealand is that they intended to escape overt racism and discrimination, not knowing they were jumping in the middle of it.

Their personal experience aside, a recent research by University of Auckland School of Business found that non Anglo-Saxons, particularly Indians and Chinese, were penalised and discriminated in job selections because of their race and exotic names.

The hypocrisy is that many feel and even believe that this problem does not exist here. More often than not discrimination and racism in NZ is very subtle. It is difficult to prove, but easily felt and experienced. Auckland University findings are substantiated by scores of people of Indian origin that I know.

The sad part is that employers will not face up to the fact that they are racists when hiring. However experience tells a different story. When calling in response to ads for renowned fast-food outlets or call centres etc., all jobs would have gone when the voice lacks a Kiwi accent, or the name is not "European".

They take your number but never call back, while the jobs keep on being advertised. In applications via Seek or other online mode, it would appear that some, if not many recruitment agencies promptly discard those names which did not fit the Anglo-Saxon/Pakeha bill.

Another tool promoting racism is the requirement for "NZ experience." This is a farce. When Kiwis go to Fiji or other countries as consultants or managers, they are not required to have host country experience or knowledge of its laws and cultures. They learn it on the job.

Then why is it that they require different standards here? How is one expected to get NZ experience without first getting an opportunity of entering the job market? It is like telling your children not to go into water until they know how to swim.

When in Fiji I invariably found myself raising my pen to fight racism raged by the indigenous Fijian regime against the so called migrant Indians. It appears that fight will be going on here as well. However, it will ironically be by a new migrant with another distant migrant race.

I have raised this issue with the Waitakere Indian Association, which will raise it with the Waitakere Ethnic Board, who I presume will raise it with higher authorities.

History is testimony to the fact that such oppression and vice, including apartheid, got eradicated by strong protests, objections and publicity. Therefore I urge you all to stand up to such racism, such discrimination and let the oppressors know that it no longer is a secret.

Stand up to it and let the smiling faces of employers and recruitment agencies know that we recognise the racist tendencies behind those niceties and that it is time to stop this hypocrisy and sham!

Thakur Ranjit Singh is a former publisher of Fiji’s Daily Post newspaper, a human rights activist and an executive of the Waitakere Indian Association. He migrated to New Zealand seven months ago.