Vacancy for migrant?

Press, 21 November 1978, Page 6

Vacancy for migrant?

A Christchurch company says it has unfilled vacancies for joiners and would have taken on the British one-way migrant, Martin Fantom', whose story appeared in “The Press” on Saturday.

Mr Fantom left Christchurch as planned on Saturday, and doubts have been cast now as to whether he was in fact a joiner. Mr Fantom told “The Press’’ he was a joiner bv occupation. but

according to the district superintendent of the Labour Department (Mr W. T. Holland) Mr Fantom was unskilled. "He might have been in a joinery factory but he had no trade qualifications,” said Mr Holland.

Mr Fantom’s story prompted an immediate response from Hardie and Thomson, Ltd. Mr K. J. Thomson said the firm had advertised extensively and had been in touch with the Labour De-

partment but had had no replies. Mr Fantom came to New Zealand on a oneway air ticket and said when he arrived that he had been advised by a travel agent that he did not need a work permit. He was granted a tempor-

ary work permit on humanitarian grounds but was unable to find a job and left after the employment section of the Labour Department told him that no jobs were available for him.