Federated Farmers' Manager Industry Policy Nick Hanson. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand has an illogical set of current rules restricting migrant farm workers, writes Federated Farmers' Manager Industry Policy Nick Hanson.
Despite Greenpeace's efforts to cast our sector as industrial farming, the business of growing food is still mostly a family affair.
Most farms in New Zealand are run by owner/operators who don't have any employees at all, just getting on with some family help or casual labour at the busy times and contractors for specialist jobs.
That's not to say that farms aren't an important source of employment.
The 50,000 agricultural businesses in New Zealand provides employment for more than 140,000 people, and that doesn't count the many jobs in downstream industries.
For many employers the prospect of a reforming Labour government, like the one we saw sworn in at the end of 2017 raises the pulse slightly.
So, after a range of employment and labour-related initiatives in 2018, how did farmer employers fare? Were they a government just for labour?
Read more from Federated Farmers here.
Labour's pre-election polices promised increased collectivisation in the bargaining process, increases to union power, the scrapping of the 90-day trial and reduced flexibility around rest and meal breaks.
Add to that deep cuts to immigration, supposedly to reduce the cost of houses in Auckland, and some farmers, may have been starting to worry.
They might be feeling a bit better now.
The policy to scrap the 90-day trial did not survive the internal Coalition government process prior to the introduction of their flagship Employment Relations Amendment bill, and the end result is that it continues to be available for employers of 19 staff or fewer.
This is a good result for farming and NZ First deserves a nod for its early influence in the process.
What was in the bill though, was the ability for union representatives to access workplaces, including farms, without permission if they were there to recruit members.
Minister Ian Lees Galloway saw fit to change this late in the debating process after strong advocacy from employers, but especially from farmers and growers.
The fact that our home is on the farm makes a difference and even if you've got a good reason, it's just common courtesy to seek permission and make prior notification before you turn up and expect to be met and inducted.
There has been no cut to immigration in anything like the numbers that were flagged before the election.
Most of the difficulties farmers face in immigration are caused by changes made by the previous Government just before they moved out.
There is a consultation process to go through, and the details will be important, but Government has this week announced a review of the temporary work migration rules obviously recognising, as farmers do, that the current system isn't working.
Federated Farmers is pleased the Minister has proposed reversing restrictions on migrant workers' families coming with them to New Zealand, not only because no-one likes seeing families forced to live apart, but because it helps provide the critical mass to keep our provincial community resources like schools and sports clubs alive.
We have an illogical set of current rules restricting migrant farm workers to visas for three consecutive 12-month periods, followed by an enforced stand-down of a year, just when they're up to speed with the requirements of the job and moving into roles involving more leadership and production innovation.
Fingers crossed the promised review translates into a more pragmatic and less costly approach.