Shake-up of Pacific worker scheme leaves farmers seeking backpackers to harvest fruit, vegetable crops

Unions and farmers are at odds over changes to the way foreign workers are employed on Australian farms. Key points: The federal government has announced changes to the way workers from the Pacific are employed in Australia Farmers say they'll employ fewer Pacific workers as a result of the changes But unions say the new guidelines are fair and reasonable Growers say they'll be forced to employ fewer workers from the Pacific as the Australian government introduces changes to its Pacific worker program. Under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers must be offered 30 hours of work per week. The changes are part of the government's plan to expand the PALM scheme, merging the former Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program. Australian Fresh Produce Alliance chief executive Claire McClelland said the changes would make it harder for farmers to employ workers via the scheme.