The owner of a building company in Auckland has apologised for spouting racist and discriminatory comments on social media.
Troy Jury owner and managing director of Qualified Building Solutions based in Parnell, took to social media on Friday via the building company’s instagram account – qbsit, to voice his frustration regarding a new build.
“#ASIANBUILDERS #notracistjustfacts sick to death of seeing this shit around the neighbourhood, undercutting real tradesman, bringing down the overall standards of builders,” he said.
When challenged on his post through direct messenger by 24-year-old builder Mason, who did not want his last name used for fear it may affect future job opportunities, Jury doubled down on his comments saying he would never hire someone of Asian ethnicity, and he didn’t care if people thought it was racist.
READ MORE:
* Plasterer wins nearly $20,000 in unjustified dismissal case against Infinite Building Solutions
* Young flock to the trades, amid government spend up on infrastructure
* The 10 questions you’ve always wanted to ask a builder
“Its just fact. . . Never hired one never will, based on 24 years experience with my own eyes.”
Mason said he was taken aback by the post and the doubling down of his comments.
“I thought it was really wrong and someone needed to say something to him. To double down in his reply saying he’s never hired one and never will was shocking.
“He has a really pretty large following in the industry and I see him as kind of large building influencer. I didn’t want some young Asian fellas who wanted to get into the trade and be a builder to see that,” Mason said.
On Monday evening, Jury once again took to social media via the company instagram account to apologise.
“I’m aware that I have offended some people recently with a post, for that I apologise. My frustration was directed at the mistreatment of the building industry and lack of respect for the sites, materials and also health and safety responsibilities by these groups on many development and building sites across Auckland,” the post said.
“I did not mean this to be racist in any way but understand how it has been seen as that. . . I understand my selection of words could have been better, and I’m truly sorry to anyone who was offended by it.”
When Stuff called Jury on Monday he said: “ We actually have Asian builders that work for us including our project managers.”
When asked why he made the comments he said the instagram account had been hacked.
“That’s all we know at the moment, we don’t know what’s going on. We’re trying to figure it all out. I’ve put an apology out for what was said by myself, so I’ll just leave it there.”
A damning new report has revealed hundreds of thousands of black and minority ethnic people faced racial discrimination at work in the UK. More than 120,000 workers have quit their jobs because of racism.
15 minutes later, Jury in a text message to Stuff said the comments posted to Instagram were insensitive, “not the best” and went on to blame “Chinese developers” for poor maintenance of building sites.
“I wish I could re-word it, I can’t. They were directed at how I have seen building sites being treated and used in my 23 years experience, and sites like that are not acceptable or good for the industry and although no one wants to admit or talk about it because of this sort of blow back.
“It is 80% the Chinese developers and builders sites that look like this and its needs to be dealt with. As for the private messages a few hours of receiving nasty messages I made a mistake in replying after a few beers.”
He said he was not a racist and has “a doze different ethnicity’s working for me currently”.
Discussion about this post