Thousands of Pacific Islanders come to New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, but other visa categories have become harder for Pacific migrants to obtain. Photo / RNZ
By Monique Steele of RNZ
Orchards are buzzing around the country with much of the last stonefruit picked and packed, and the wine grape harvest getting under way.
There were close to 9000 workers in Aotearoa under the Recognised Seasonal Employer, or RSE scheme, at present.
They came from Pacific Island nations like Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa and were a vital part of the horticulture workforce.
But unions were concerned the coalition Government’s new immigration policies were eroding migrant workers’ rights.
The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said recent changes to the RSE scheme from September, like increasing the cap to 20,750 workers, were driven by increased demand from employers wanting more workers.
Other changes included employers being required to pay workers an average of 30 hours a week over four weeks, lifting a pause on accommodation cost increases and lifting the requirement to pay workers 10% above the minimum wage, which would only apply to experienced workers.
Many fruit companies RNZ had spoken with recently said there were good labour levels on orchards throughout summer.
Colin Bond of Kiwifruit Growers’ Incorporated said: “The labour for our industry is made up of quite a few components, one of them is obviously the RSE scheme, the workers we get out of the Pacific, and recent changes from the Government have been positive there.
“We’re seeing more backpackers in the country as well, and of course, with the unemployment rate increasing in New Zealand there’s improved access to New Zealanders as well.
“You put those three things together in terms of more supply and then more automation that’s going on every year in our industry, particularly in the post-harvest sector, that combination gives us a lot of confidence that we’re really well placed for 2025 on the labour that we need to do a great job at harvest.”
MBIE’s acting national manager Pacific, Faamata Laumalili, said employers were expected to ensure pastoral care was available for workers, that they received adequate training and that employers maintained good community relationships with churches, for example.
“RSE worker wellbeing is a key element of the RSE scheme and employers are responsible for their workers’ welfare and pastoral care,” Laumalili said.
MBIE assured working conditions were monitored closely by officials such as labour inspectors, compliance officers and Pacific liaison officers who regularly reported back to workers’ home countries.
But co-convener for Workers’ First Union’s Pasefika Fono, Antonia Lili’i, said there was little accountability from the home countries once their citizens have left for New Zealand.
She said any blame for exploitation was shared by both the host and home countries.
“When you say migrants, there’s exploitation, there’s RSE workers, there’s exploitation, yeah because our people, it’s cheap labour.
“In terms of the working conditions that we’re trying to fight as unions, why can’t they have the same standard rates, the same entitlements that a normal employee in New Zealand is entitled to?”
She said they would love policymakers to think of how to provide protection to RSE workers.
“If you want people to pay for your retirement, you need to make sure of this protection for your workforce.”
Antonia Lili’i said places like Samoa offer pre-departure training so RSE workers can understand their contracts and their rights before they leave.
But she says sometimes the contracts are different on their arrival, including extra deductions for accommodation or medical insurance.
The Union Network of Migrants’ RSE organiser, Mikee Santos, said unfortunately there are still cowboys exploiting workers for financial gain.
He said with New Zealand’s growing reliance on migrant workers, MBIE must make significant efforts to better ensure abuse was minimised.
“We have advocated for more stringent process and more safety nets for migrant workers in this sector, there have been some changes but not much.
“This is again a problem, if the policies will be mediocre, the conditions will get worse.
“The easy answer is, if you’re a migrant worker there’s an 0800 number to call if you are being aggrieved or abused but it’s not that easy, because migrant workers, normally they don’t put their head up. They normally hide their heads because of their visa conditions, because they don’t want to rattle the cage [in case] after this they go back to their home, and they will not be called again to go back to New Zealand.”
Santos said it would be very sad if the New Zealand economy grows by standing on the bruised backs and shoulders of migrant workers.
MBIE said further work was under way to look at broader RSE policy settings and compliance, which will include assessing deductions, rights and benefits.
- RNZ