Watch: Auckland worker's protest becomes carpark face-off as immigrant worker claims he was paid $7 an hour for three years

October 12, 2017

An immigrant bottle store worker says he was effectively paid half the minimum wage for a 60 hour week.

An Auckland employer has been accused of paying a worker less than half the minimum wage for more than three years.

A bottle store worker claims that he was effectively forced to work 62 hours a week while only being paid for 30.

Manjhinder Singh, 23, says he was threatened by his employers at the Point Chevalier Bottle-O store that they would terminate his work visa and have him sent back to India if he complained about the working conditions.

Mr Singh first came to New Zealand on a student visa which legally allowed him to work only 20 hours a week.

He then obtained a work visa through his Bottle-O employer and admits he broke the law, claiming he worked the extra hours to satisfy his boss's alleged demands.

Mr Singh's employers declined to talk to 1 NEWS on camera, leaving it up to a relative who refuted the claims that he was overworked and underpaid.

"He works only 30 hours and we paid him thirty hours every week," Kamal Deep said.

A secret recording, allegedly between Mr Singh and his employers tells a different story, with the recording seemingly confirming Mr Singh was paid $7 an hour and that a settlement would be made between the two parties.

The owners have told 1 NEWS they have not agreed to any payment.

Today , labour inspectors confirmed they'll investigate this case.

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