Working for Williams

Williams Development Holdings Ltd is a company which has grown dramatically in the last few years.

This company owned, managed, and run by British migrants has a large scale development project taking place at Plimmer's Steps in downtown Wellington.

The company already has a parking building on the site and it is in the process of building a hotel-office block complex through one of its related companies, Williams Construction.

This company is also run by Britishers and it differs from other construction firms in that it has few sub-contractors and just about all the work is done by people imported from England.

These workers are paid very good wages by Williams. They can afford good accommodation around town and leave whatever is left over to the poorer New Zealanders.

The one group Williams does not pay high wages to is labourers, and since few labourers will work under the conditions at Williams they consequently have trouble getting labourers. Two weeks ago Williams had only three full-time labourers and for a construction site employing more than 50 people that is not many. So they have to resort to employing students on a part-time basis at the weekend, for which they are paid at a flat rate of $1.50 per hour. There is possibly an argument here on the basis of the award which provides that labourers who work over four hours on Saturday must be paid time and a half for the first hour and double time after

The highly enlightened staff of Williams Construction Co will also in an I.R 12 tax form for you and deduct tax from your wages without your permission or knowledge and without asking what tax category you come into. This is another infringement of your rights and although "this is the way we do it in England" prevails it is just not acceptable here.

The main problem with this company is that it was founded in Wellington hut by using foreign management and workers it tries to push its alien ideas on any and everything that get in its way. One very important question arises out of this whole story for the average New Zealander. Are we benefiting in any way by having these foreigners come in and take over our industry and our skilled work and our housing? Are there any social, economic, political or other benefits?

—by Kevin Wright