PNG gives cautious welcome to seasonal workers scheme
Updated
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Fiji may dominate the forum discussions, but one other issue that sure to come up in the talks is Australia's pilot scheme to import seasonal workers
from a number of Pacific countries. One of the small number of nations chosen is Papua New Guinea, which says while it welcomes its inclusion in the plan, remains cautious about its people being exploited on Australian farms.
Presenter:Firmin Nanol
Speakers: John Hickey, PNG Agriculture Minister; Tony Burke, Australia's Agriculture Minister
- Listen:
- Windows Media
NANOL: The Australian Government has announced a three year pilot seasonal workers scheme in its horticulture industry. Under the program, up to 2,500 Pacific Islanders will be able to seek seasonal jobs in Australia.
They will do jobs like fruit picking and packaging in Australian farms for up to seven months a year. Papua New Guinea is among one of four countries, including Tonga, Kiribati and Vanuatu, included in the program.
PNG' Agriculture Minister says the government welcomes Australia's decision to allow Pacific islanders to seek seasonal jobs in Australia's horticulture industry.
John Hickey says it is a win-win program for Australian farmers and the Pacific communities.
However, he says he is cautious about the PNG citizens being exploited by employers in the agriculture industry in Australia.
HICKEY: One of my big fears is the Australian Government had special visas where they issued to painters coming from Asia and they found that in some cases those people were being exploited by employers, so the Australian Government I'm told has learnt through that experience and they don't want it repeated with our people going to Australia for rural work. So first we would like to see our workers belong to a trade union in Australia, because they would receive some protection from exploitation if they became trade unionists. We would like to see the Australian Government put mechanisms in place whereby they would be protected from exploitation by employers.
NANOL: Australia's Agriculture minister visited PNG and has held talks with his PNG counter part John Hickey this week.
Tony Burke says the seasonal worker scheme will not start over night.
He says the finer details are yet to be worked out.
And he has warned Pacific islanders not to listen to anyone acting as agents for Australian farms to pay fees to get visas to go and work in Australia.
BURKE: We want to make sure that this works properly, and we want to make sure that people don't end up in arrangement where they have somehow been saddled with a debt. We want people to be working for Australian wages and being able to provide the benefit of those Australian wages back to their communities through seasonal labour. So while there is a great deal of excitement that I have felt in the streets, I would also encourage a level of caution. We don't want people to get caught out in anyway through operators who pretend to be part of the scheme, but who in fact are not.
NANOL: He says all low-skilled seasonal workers will be employed in accordance with Australian work standards.
Mr Burke says they will receive the same protection from exploitation as Australian workers.
He says Pacific Island workers are not a cheap labour option and participating employers will meet the costs for bringing Pacific Island workers to Australia.
The pilot program will be reviewed after 18 months to ensure it meets the needs of Australia's agriculture industry and seasonal workers.
Australia's Education, Employment and Workplace Relations office will administer the seasonal worker scheme.
The Pacific Seasonal worker scheme is expected to start mid next year.
