Outdated vineyard law to be reviewed

The Department of Labour is to review a regulation that makes vineyard employers legally responsible for workers' accommodation.

Occupational Safety and Health highlighted a little-known rule under which employers are responsible for minimum standards of accommodation for agricultural workers.

That upset Marlborough grape contractors and growers, as well as Federated Farmers New Zealand, who asked why agricultural employers should be liable when supermarket employers, for example, were not.

The regulation was out-of-date and unworkable, they said.

Department principal adviser Bob Hill, who was at a viticulture meeting in Blenheim last week, said the regulation would be reviewed next year.

Historically, the provisions covered agricultural workers who were obliged to live away from centres of population, lived only temporarily in the locality, or were dependent on a single employer, with limited opportunity to sell a house if they changed jobs.

But Mr Hill said other groups of workers, for example in the tourism or hospitality sectors, could be seen in the same light.

The law should reflect the labour market realities of the 21st century, he said.

Until the accommodation rule was reviewed, it would be policed "sensibly", Mr Hill assured viticulture employers.

But he said it was in employers' interests, whether they be in the supermarket or viticulture business, to ensure their workers had reasonable accommodation.

"Regardless of who you are as an employer, if your worker is regularly turning up looking sleepy and not in good shape, it is prudent to ask why is that happening."

Without good accommodation, the Marlborough viticulture industry would not be able to attract enough workers.

Poor accommodation could also result in "social problems" and in reduced quality of work, said Mr Hill.

"If your workers are sleeping in a car or under a bridge, they are not going to be as productive."

Meanwhile, a business workforce survey by the Marlborough Economic Development Trust has predicted that labour shortages in Marlborough will get "much worse" in the next five years.

Demand for permanent fulltime labour is expected to increase more than a third in that time.

Businesses are also expected to seek 13 per cent more part-time workers.

Professional vacancies are expected to increase by two-thirds, and there are likely to be about 50 per cent more technician, service, sales and trade positions.

The survey also found a shortage of local skills - 24 per cent of companies had vacancies and 27 per cent recruited from outside the region.

As well, 29 per cent of companies had significant seasonal changes in employment.

The trust suggested better employment and training programmes in Marlborough and more apprenticeship and work experience opportunities to boost skills.

Only 40 per cent of companies surveyed used education and training programmes.

- NZPA