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The report was completed by the Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in July 2017. But after the findings were made, nothing happened.
Gloriavale residents are taught from childhood that the outside world is evil and full of sin.
But the Labor Inspection report points out that it is the leaders who have questionable behavior.
Investigators noted an “extreme level of control” and concerns that residents would be “intimidated, manipulated or coerced” into signing documents.
“I cannot be sure as a minister that the Gloriavale workers are not being exploited and I want to be sure of that,” said Andrew Little, Minister of Labor Relations.
The exploitation is exactly what MBIE stated could be happening in 2017.
However, it concluded that the residents “are not employees” but are volunteers and could not intervene. And so, he did nothing.
“I was certainly uncomfortable with the conclusion that they were volunteer workers, because they don’t look alike [that]Little said.
“I have asked the officials to reconsider the report, to review it.”
Gloriavale men work on dairy and deer farms, make honey, and work in fishmeal plants. These are just a few of the business operations run by Gloriavale’s Trust.
Residents sign various agreements. The trustees told MBIE that “they are all willing signatories,” but that contradicts the testimony of 18 people who have left the community.
They told investigators about:
- “Documents signed in ignorance”
- There were “massive signatures”
- There was “significant peer pressure”
- Legal advice “not offered”
- The trustees emptied personal “bank accounts” when people left.
“People have no idea how much money is coming in. Everything is handled by someone else and they have no control over what happens to it,” said Melody Pilgrim, a former Gloriavale resident.
She says most women spent “grueling” hours in commercial kitchens and laundries.
“They are servants and slaves of the people who are building their own kingdom.”
As for MBIE’s 2017 conclusion that they are not employees, she thinks that is “ridiculous.”
“Why are the government and agencies so slow to investigate this? This is affecting people’s lives. And if something is not done about it, people will suffer and their children will suffer.”
He wants action, and now.
The report was made in July 2017, when National was in charge and before Little took office.
I was only aware of its existence last week, when Newshub published the story about the current members working 20 to 23 hour shifts.
Minister Little was quick to order this review which will reexamine whether these people are, in fact, just volunteers.
He says that as part of this, he asked the Labor Inspectorate to establish a “specialized confidential liaison function.” This is to ensure that current and former residents can speak freely with investigators.
“Any evidence collected will inform a review of the 2017 ‘volunteer’ determination,” Little told Newshub.
An MBIE spokesperson told Newshub that it did not have to inform Little of its report.
“There is no requirement to inform a new minister about previous lines of investigations of the regulators’ operations,” he said, “especially those that found no basis under labor law to carry out an investigation.”
