The owners of two liquidated Indian clothing stores in Auckland have been ordered to pay $60,000 for intimidating two of their previous employees.
During a now-concluded Employment Relations Authority (ERA) investigation, Kalpana Nandni and Renuka Kumar said they were visited by Black Power gang members, threatened and pressured not to help the investigation.
The two women are former employees of Khoobsurat Collections Ltd and Naari Collection Ltd in Auckland, owned and operated by Neelam Ahuja, Chirag Ahuja and Rhythm Ahuja.
Ms Nandi told the ERA that a man with "Black Power" tattooed on his cheeks and nose visited her home, told her husband she "should not be making trouble with her old employer" and explained Black Power had been paid to threaten her.
Ms Nandi said she received a phone call from Neelam Ahuja, who said "bad things can happen when you mess with people" and told her to do what the gang said.
The other witness, Ms Kumar, said she received a phone call from a man claiming to be a Black Power member, telling her not to help the ERA investigation.
Ms Kumar said the man knew her home address, and said he would visit her.
Both women phoned the police and attended the ERA investigation without incident.
Last month, the companies' three owners were found guilty of underpaying their employees by nearly $70,000.
For intimidating Ms Kumar and Ms Nandni, they were also each ordered to pay $20,000 - half to the government, and half to the two ex-employees.
