Tanuvasa Tomasi Peni, the Samoan labour mobility officer for Recognised Seasonal Employer workers.
When Tanuvasa Tomasi Peni took on the newly created role of Samoan labour mobility officer for Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers in the South Island, he was keen to get out amongst the people.
Peni, who took on the role in 2023, is also currently overseeing the North Island, so one of the major initiatives he introduced was a quarterly visit to every Samoan RSE team in the country.
His role is critical to managing worker welfare, fostering employer partnerships and promoting training initiatives.
He meets with all workers and employers to gather feedback on how things are going, including any concerns or ideas for improvement.
This enables him to compile a detailed report for the Samoan Government and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, helping to inform future policy development for the RSE scheme.
Over three weeks each quarter, Peni visits workers and employers in more than 60 RSE businesses in about 16 different areas of New Zealand.
“The initiative came about through thinking outside the box about how I could capture as much feedback as possible to evaluate each year,” he said.
Questionnaires are completed at the end of both the summer and winter seasons, but Peni said a hands-on approach was also beneficial.
“I recognised that meeting workers and employers in person and seeing them in the workplace and the accommodation provided for them is the best way to capture any concerns and bring up things we may not have explored before.
“It means I can see first-hand that employers are applying policies fairly and following the principles of the interagency agreement.
“It is an acknowledgement of what employers are achieving, and I include all of them in my report, particularly the compliance aspect.”
Peni previously worked as Samoa’s national coordinator for the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
“Labour mobility was my specialisation, and after 10 years in policy development and having attended a lot of international labour conventions, I really wanted to get out in the field with workers and amongst the work they are doing,” he said.
“It was my passion to come to New Zealand to do that.”
Peni said the initiative’s goals include promoting close collaboration between RSE employers and partners in the scheme.
“Meeting up with me is an opportunity for employers to review what they are doing, look at what is working well and anything that is missing or any issues.
“For workers, it is to promote harmonious living conditions and support them in working hard.”
Peni said that between 3000 and 4000 Samoan RSE workers come to New Zealand each year, with different teams for the summer and winter seasons.
“I make sure I see each season’s workers, and I always visit everyone again just before Christmas.
“I haven’t had any negative feedback from employers about the initiative, and workers are very positive about it.”
Peni said his regular visits also allowed him to see the strong bonds often forged between workers and employers.
“Many employers learn a lot about Samoa, and workers return year after year, and I see employers treating them like family.”
In some cases, that respect is recognised symbolically.
Peni said that he had informally bestowed Samoan chiefly titles on several RSE employers, such as Ross, the manager at Matipou Orchards in Hawke’s Bay.
“I was there recently, and he was holding a celebration to mark one of his RSE workers returning to the orchard to work each year for 18 years.
“In discussion with the team, we agreed to informally bestow the chief title of Tagaloa on Ross.”
Peni said Samoan workers may find European names difficult to pronounce, so they use the Samoan title for their manager instead, but only on the orchard, as it is not an official title.
“I have done that for six RSE employers, but I know there are others, men and women, who have also had titles bestowed on them when visiting their workers’ villages in Samoa.”
Peni’s role also includes actively supporting and organising community activities for Samoan RSE workers.
He oversees a strong social media network for workers and their families and runs several initiatives throughout the year.
These include a Christmas carol competition, with Samoan RSE teams forming choirs and uploading performances online, and a volleyball tournament, with workers travelling across the South Island to take part.
The events attract strong interest from the wider Samoan community and media coverage in Samoa.
Peni also runs a “gold medal” scheme to recognise team performance.
“At the end of each season, teams get to see if they are ‘gold medal teams’,” he said.
“It attracts a lot of interest and inspires competitive spirit. The whole community gets to see on Facebook which teams have gained that status, and they see it as a very strong motivation to work hard.”
Peni also works closely with Samoa’s Trade Commissioner, based at the Samoa Consulate‑General in Auckland — particularly when RSE policy is being discussed with the New Zealand Government.
“New Zealand’s RSE scheme remains a success story,” Peni said.
“It delivers essential labour for growers while providing valuable employment and income opportunities for Pacific communities.”
- Supplied by Horticulture NZ