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The pastoral care of Filipino migrant bus drivers who responded to an international recruitment campaign is being questioned.
The article highlighting their plight has been pulled from the NZ Herald’s website.
On Wednesday, Wellington NZ Herald reporter, Georgina Campbell, reported that migrant bus drivers have been brought to the Capital and are being put up without the bare essentials.
The migrant bus drivers lack basics like beds and mattresses, heaters, kitchen utensils, washing machines and fridges.
Campbell was responding to an appeal by a Wellington woman posted on a community Facebook page, saying she is helping 18 Filipino migrant bus drivers.
The woman says the drivers have been in the city for around three weeks and need help as they head into winter.
Daran Ponter, the Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman, confirmed he had received a screenshot of a Facebook post in a community group.
Ponter says he passed the Facebook screenshot on to the Regional Council’s public transport arm, Metlink.
The post asked if anyone could lend household items.
“We are bus drivers here in Wellington. We are new here. Happy to pay if they are selling cheap. (sic.) Very much appreciated. Thank you,” the post said.
Commenting on behalf of NZ Bus in Wellington, Russell Turnbull said all new drivers to the country employed by the company received settlement support during their first four to six weeks here.
This included accommodation provided by NZ Bus, Turnbull said.
However, the level of care is being questioned by neighbours of one of the migrant driver groups.
“They’re new to the country and don’t even know how to get rid of their rubbish,” one man told CathNews.
The man who wished to remain anonymous said he shouted these migrants a roll of City Council rubbish bags and explained how the rubbish system worked.
“Their English was good and once they knew what to do they were fine.”
Quick to retort, “But I’ll shout them another bag again next week if I need to.”
Before his neighbourly intervention, rubbish was left in black bags and not collected at the gate.
“It’s really basic stuff and very unfair,” he said.
One man shouted the migrant bus drivers a roll of City Council rubbish bags he had to explain how the rubbish system worked.
CathNews contacted the man again on Thursday, asking if he noticed any change.
“Yes,” he laughed.
“The City Council have visited and left a notice in all the residents’ letterboxes saying that rubbish put out in black bags won’t be collected.”
Raising his eyebrow, he sighed, “Very helpful.”
However, Wellington Regional Council Transport Committee chairman Thomas Nash told the NZ Herald that the well-being of drivers is important.
Nash said that the council is making every effort to ensure the migrant drivers are looked after and have a good experience.
He also acknowledged it wasn’t easy coming to a new country.
“It’s expensive, there are always set-up costs, and it’s always helpful when employers, friends, family, community groups and neighbours help out.
“To everyone who is doing that for any new workers who are coming into Wellington, we are very grateful,” he said.
The Wellington Regional Council is hiking rates by a massive 17.8% in part to attract bus drivers and further decarbonise its bus fleet.
The Capital is struggling to get on top of its shortage of some 125 drivers, which causes buses to be cancelled.
Bus cancellations also threaten the highly controversial multi-million dollar “Let’s get Welly Moving” campaign.
Sources
- NZ Herald (Last accessed 19 April 2023)
- I Love Karori (Private Facebook group)
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