Bill criminalising wage theft to be introduced in Parliament

A bill seeking to criminalise wage theft in New Zealand is now set for introduction at the House of Representatives.

The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Crimes Act 1961 to "clarify that not paying an employee their wage is theft."

"The new section provides that an employer's intentional failure to pay to an employee any money owed in relation to the employment is theft," the bill said.

This also includes the "unlawful withholding of wages, salaries, and other monetary entitlements within an employment relationship," according to the bill.

It is proposing a fine of up to $30,000 or imprisonment of up to one year for employers who are found guilty of wage theft.

Protection for workers

The bill will offer a "symbolic form of protection" to New Zealand's exploited and vulnerable workers, according to Member of Parliament Ibrahim Omer, who authored the bill.

"This bill will make a huge difference for workers all across Aotearoa, especially for students, migrants, and low paid workers," Omer said in a statement on Facebook. "I am very excited for this bill to be introduced to the House."

Meanwhile, the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) also welcomed the bill.

"Wage theft is an insidious practice that tends to target low-income and immigrant workers. We see too many stories of hard-working people being ripped off by unscrupulous bosses with no real repercussions," said CTU president Richard Wagstaff in a statement.

The CTU is now calling on all political parties to back the bill, stressing that no party should allow employers to steal from their staff.

"It is time for Parliament to send a message that stealing from workers is not OK," Wagstaff said.