Bennett defends WINZ jobs below minimum wage

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Fri, 13 May 2011 6:02a.m.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett (NZPA)

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett (NZPA)

By Janika ter Ellen

Labour is questioning whether jobs placed on the work and income job website are legal.

They say some jobs on the department's "Find a job" website offer below minimum wage rates.

The Social Development Minister replied that people cannot always be picky about the jobs they take.

“We think any job is a good job,” she told the house.

“You don't always get to do your dream job; sometimes you have to work hard, sometimes you have to get stuck in, sometimes you have to prove yourself to get promoted, sometimes you have to wash dishes in a rest-home or dig the drains.”

Ms Bennett added there are different rules for some contracting jobs - and not all jobs have a minimum wage.

Those looking for work in the drains industry may be out of luck though; a search by 3 News for “drains” on the site did not return any jobs.

Rest home workers were better catered for with several jobs going in the major centres. All had pay packets above minimum wage or said wages were "to be discussed".

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Comments

21 Feb 2012 02:11p.m.

Melissa wrote:

Well,after hearing everything Paula Bennett has voiced, I am really not happy. I am a solo mother with 2 children, finished a Degree and I even moved to Wellington in search of work and been searching for at least 3 months. I am apalled with the minimum wage,it just gets you by and you still got to pay the bills and afterschool childcare, so its not really doing much for us as solo parents. Dont forget Paula Bennett some of us do work really hard for what we get so maybe you should have a go on being on a benefit and see how long you last.

04 Jan 2012 09:26a.m.

garry wrote:

There is an awful lot of Earthquake reconstruction jobs; in Christchurch, being handled by professional work broking agencies taking their not so little cut out of the public purse where this could have; should have been administered by Winz. That's as big a waste of public funds as having a leaky faucet is in the private home.

26 Oct 2011 03:21p.m.

Patricia wrote:

Paula Bennett & her lot would rather give the good jobs to immigrants.

18 Sep 2011 08:26p.m.

Charlie wrote:

Ummm. Guys. What are you saying about 'before National we owed nothing to nobody' ? Labor racked up a national debt of more than 50 billion, which we owe to China... National is trying to PAY THAT BACK... and the recession, which by the way was global, was predicted in the 90's. Who do you think picked up the tabs you were living WAY beyond your means? China, thats who, now you owe them...

19 Aug 2011 12:35p.m.

rex wrote:

Before National we had the lowest unemplyment figures in the world, we didn't have owe money to anyone, didn't make cuts to child care and ACC, didn't have high inflation or high food prices. National haven't done a damn thing for the average kiwi ever since they gained power. God help us over the next 3 years. Why haven't labour got rid of Phill Goff? They haven't a cahnce in hell with him as leader.

09 Jun 2011 01:32a.m.

Jay wrote:

To be honest I think Paula Bennett should get her head out of her butt than use the same rhetorical excuse to defend dodgy jobs. In all aspect under this current government I fail to see any logic in what she is actually doing regardless of any winz related nature. The contractors should be adhering to the law and if she supports that it goes to show that Paula Bennett is a natural born hypocrite

24 May 2011 11:15p.m.

mark wrote:

After reading your stories,I just have to tell you this one. I was once told i had to go for an interview as an assistant to a lawnmowing contractor.I was happy to do this.When i got to the interview,i was told it was actually an escort agency and i was being interviewed for a drivers position,taking the ladies to their clients location of choice.I went back to winz and was told a job is a job,do it or have my benefit refused.i was paid good money,and with respect to the ladies,declined the perks and bonuses,made some good friends in the process.agency went bust so i was put back on the benefit.the hardest part of all this was trying to explain why i went home clean everyday to my wife.And all this was at least 15 years before prostitution was made legal.So nothing you tell on this site would suprise me in the least.

22 May 2011 10:16p.m.

Sam wrote:

Adding to the inconsistence of WINZ staff are that i got call by the Wellington Call Centre for a job at Super Cheap Auto, Levin, i said yes and heard nothing, since i did not have a direct dial number for this person, i call a case manager at WINZ Levin. She said that she will put my name forward, which didn't happen. The way i found out was when i spoke to the assistant manager at Super Cheap said that my CV was not given by WINZ, she even said that i would have been a preferred choice over what was given as being a regular customer of the store and been asked if i was interested in a position beforehand. I am now still receiving assistance from WINZ now and this has been 5 months now. It just shows how useless there systems that are in place. Sam

18 May 2011 11:43p.m.

Deidre wrote:

I decided to call Winz after seeing the jobs on their website. The jobs were working for well known rip off artist contractors, who pay minimum wage then make you work until you cannot walk!!! And to top it off all were well known to people in my industry for not paying, delaying payment, fiddling with numbers (especially if its on piece rate) and not paying taxes. How Winz can advertise working for these low lives is beyond me. I think Paula needs to be more picky in who is allowed to offer employment on their website.

18 May 2011 09:58p.m.

Jane wrote:

wash dishes in resthome, try administering supositries into the elderly without training on minimum wage.