The Prime Minister’s call for New Zealand to remove the cap on the regional seasonal workers will be considered.
On Thursday when the 8th R.S.E. annual conference was opened in Apia, P.M. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi called for the restriction on the number of seasonal workers to be removed.
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Close to 200 participants from the Pacific were in the country for the conference.
Speaking to the Samoa Observer, New Zealand Member of Parliament for Mangere, Su’a William Sio said the call from Tuilaepa should be taken seriously.
“I’m going to look at reasons why Australia removed the cap to make a comparison,” said Su’a.
“I will at some stage ask the Minister (N.Z. Immigration) reasons why some officials don’t want to remove the cap.”
The scheme was an initiative of the Labour government in 2007 under the leadership of N.Z. former Prime Minister, Helen Clarke.
Su’a pointed out that there are problems faced by New Zealanders themselves.
“The scheme is ours and we support it,” he said.
“Looking at ways to strengthen it and support it, also there is criticism from New Zealanders of why bring them (seasonal workers) while we have high unemployment with a consistent unemployment of Maori-Pacific islanders hovering at 12 percent.”
According to Su’a while businesses have expressed that they are dependent on workers from the Pacific, there are other issues that should be dealt with.
Those issues he said, include workers complaining of their wages.
“I’ve been hearing that some don’t get paid hourly rates; they have a different method of paying the workers depending on what they pick.”
“It’s supposed to be minimum wage but the feedback is if you calculate what you pick and minus the accommodation and other (expenses) it may not be (minimum wage).”
Su’a said his participation in the conference is to listen to employers as to what it is that “we need to do for us in government to improve policy.”
“I want to find ways of how we can strengthen the R.S.E. scheme. I’m hearing what the employers are saying they need R.S.E workers from Pacific, I accept that, but we also have to balance it out with employers’ obligations to the N.Z. workforce in provision of training in ensuring that the local workforce in N.Z. are given the same opportunities.”
Su’a also recalled several reports of seasonal workers being investigated for breaking the law. “I know some of those issues are being dealt with by the Prime Minister and villages,” he said. “But I believe that some of that can be mitigated if there is pre-training before the workers leave for N.Z.”
“Pre-training as in they need to understand the life in N.Z. and should have a role play so that when a girl says “hi” in a bar it doesn’t necessarily mean they want to be with them.
“I don’t want to make fun of it, but it is serious and it happens.”
Su’a used an example of a scheme in N.Z. where refugees get such training to readjust to life in the country.
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