ELE group collapse: Companies, community holding BBQ as hundreds of laid-off tradies need ongoing support

Construction industry and community groups are joining forces to help laid-off ELE Group workers today.

An estimated 1000 labourers and tradies lost their jobs five days before Christmas when five ELE Group companies went into receivership.

About 750 of those affected workers are Filipino.

Paddy O’Regan, sales director and co-owner at recruitment company Remarkable People, said the barbecue today at Kiwi Harvest was a chance for the industry to rally and show some love and support to the workers.

I am Hope, Vertical Horizonz, Wellbeing Solutions, Mates in Construction and recruitment company Hirestaff would also be involved at today’s event at Unit G/70 Business Parade South, East Tāmaki.

On Christmas Eve, a food bank established at First Union’s Onehunga offices donated parcels to hundreds of workers.

But some tradespeople also face language challenges and complications from immigration, O’Regan said.

“The ripple effect will be there for a while.”

He said it was important not to forget about the laid-off workers.

Volunteers distributed food parcels in Onehunga after the closure of ELE Group companies left hundreds of Filipino migrant workers out of work. Photo / Alex Burton

O’Regan said many workers might not be aware of the industry support groups available, so today’s event from 1pm would also be a chance to inform workers about those services.

“Industry support is a key part of the initiative.”

O’Regan said many people were volunteering to help with the event and church groups and translators will be on site as well.

ELE Holdings, ELE Management, ELE Limited, Tranzport Solutions and RISQ New Zealand all went into receivership shortly before Christmas.

Receivers at Deloitte said ELE Security was still trading.

Second food bank drive

Mikee Santos, Union Network of Migrants’ co-ordinator, said a few dozen more food parcels would be distributed on Saturday.

A few people had been unable to get the packages on Christmas Eve.

Mikee Santos and a team of volunteers sorted tens of thousands of dollars worth of food donated to migrant workers laid off by ELE. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

“We’ll have a short second wave,” he told the Herald today.

The deliveries will be at First Union at 120 Church St in Onehunga, expected from 11am to 1pm on Saturday.

Santos said labour recruitment company Extrastaff and members of the community had donated to community groups helping the laid-off workers.

This afternoon, he said about $50,000 in cash and food donations had been distributed.

Recruitment company Hirestaff also helped at the food bank.

Santos said after the frantic work of the 48-hour food bank challenge calmed down, the reality of what happened sunk in for him.

He said the community’s efforts, and especially the work of young volunteers, was impressive.

Children who normally never surfaced before 11am on the holidays were racing to help with the food bank at 9am, Santos said.

“The teenagers were asking: ‘Is there any more food to pack?’”

He said the Filipino community had much experience responding to disasters and setbacks by creating food banks.

“We get hammered by typhoons a lot.”

But he said he’d never seen such a community initiative in New Zealand.

“It’s so amazing.”

AFFECTED WORKERS CAN EMAIL AEWVworkerresponse@mbie.govt.nz FOR HELP WITH IMMIGRATION ISSUES.