Changes to Pacific Islander Labour Mobility scheme lack seasonal flexibility, growers say
1 year, 7 months ago

Changes to Pacific Islander Labour Mobility scheme lack seasonal flexibility, growers say

ABC  

The horticulture industry is warning that changes to the Pacific Islander Labour Mobility scheme in Australia could mean fewer fresh fruits and vegetables will be stocked on supermarket shelves. Key points: Growers say changes to the PALM scheme lack the flexibility required for farm operations Industry representatives say there was a lack of meaningful consultation The workers' union backs the changes by the government, which is confident it will benefit growers Most produce sold in retail stores is picked and packed by farm workers, including many Pacific Islanders employed through the federal government scheme. Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers chief executive Bree Watson said the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations should instead focus on enforcing the existing PALM scheme laws and reconsider the changes. Approved Employers Australia chief executive Steve Burdette supported paying PALM workers 30 hours per week, but with hours averaged over four weeks, as there needed to be flexibility within the horticulture sector.

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History of this topic

Family wants answers after Vanuatu seasonal worker drowns on the job
5 months ago

Family wants answers after Vanuatu seasonal worker drowns on the job

ABC  

It's a time of celebration and optimism for most, but New Year's Day this year was one of tragedy for the family of ni-Vanuatu seasonal worker Moken Maltungtung. Valencia Packete, a ni-Vanuatu Australian, runs a boarding house out of her Blackett home in Sydney's far west for "deflated and discouraged" seasonal workers who have absconded from the PALM scheme. "I've …

Australia's PALM working visa scheme is a 'modern day slavery risk', advocates say. The system needs to change — and fast
5 months, 1 week ago

Australia's PALM working visa scheme is a 'modern day slavery risk', advocates say. The system needs to change — and fast

ABC  

ACTU president Michele O'Neil is calling on the government to reform a temporary working visa scheme that prevents workers leaving bad bosses and to blacklist dodgy employers who use migration worker exploitation as a business model. Investigations underway O'Neil's calls for reform are being echoed by charities, councils, state politicians, community workers and the NSW Anti Slavery Commissioner James Cockayne, …

Fijian government to meet Australian PALM workers following tragic death of Christine Lewailagi
7 months ago

Fijian government to meet Australian PALM workers following tragic death of Christine Lewailagi

ABC  

Members of the Fijian government will visit Australia in October to investigate claims of racism, bullying, unsafe practices, and exploitation in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. Ms Lewailagi's friends saw her death as a chance to speak out about the plight of PALM workers across Australia that Mr Johnston equated to "modern slavery". Mr Johnston said the shared grief …

Superannuation is sitting in Australia as PALM workers report barriers, delays in claiming their money
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Superannuation is sitting in Australia as PALM workers report barriers, delays in claiming their money

ABC  

Tevita Kofutu'a has plans for the $10,000 in superannuation he earned over five years of seasonal work in Australia. Pacific Island workers coming home from Australia to other parts of the region say it's a long and complicated process to get their superannuation. "There are a lot of workers who have indicated that they have accumulated significant unclaimed super," Alisi …

PALM scheme minimum work hours change 'more workable' for growers
9 months, 3 weeks ago

PALM scheme minimum work hours change 'more workable' for growers

ABC  

Farmers will no longer have to guarantee Pacific workers a minimum of 30 hours employment per week, after the federal government announced it would scrap the requirement. Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association chief executive Rachel Chambers said the changes would make the PALM scheme more workable for growers. 'It's common sense' North Burnett packing shed manager Cris Bryant said …

Pacific workers move from farms to service stations in expansion of Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme
10 months ago

Pacific workers move from farms to service stations in expansion of Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme

ABC  

In short: A group of Fijian nationals have been employed in Queensland service stations amid a local worker shortage. A group of Fijian nationals have taken up work in service stations in regional Queensland as the federal government allows more industries to recruit workers from Pacific nations. Wessel Petroleum, which owns 19 service stations between Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, …

Farmer demand for Pacific Islander seasonal workers is falling — and it could be backpackers taking their place
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Farmer demand for Pacific Islander seasonal workers is falling — and it could be backpackers taking their place

ABC  

Demand for Pacific Island seasonal workers is falling after a post-COVID boom in numbers — and backpackers might be taking their place. "That's appealing, whereas seasonal workers are on a contract.” Dr Curtain said for PALM workers on longer contracts in agriculture, employer demand has fallen even more. But he said the drop in demand for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility …

Pacific Island nations are moving to gain control over their labour drains, after seasonal worker numbers explode
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Pacific Island nations are moving to gain control over their labour drains, after seasonal worker numbers explode

ABC  

For Maurice Masuino, recruiting a new electrician will take an international search. Griffith University expert in labour mobility Kirstie Petrou said while Vanuatu's new emergency visa was meant to bring in workers more quickly, employers reported using other options. Taking back control Pacific Island nations have been reviewing their labour mobility policies since an explosion in the number of workers …

Pacific Islander workers on Australian farms hit near-record numbers as their families feel the strain of 'painful dollar'
1 year, 6 months ago

Pacific Islander workers on Australian farms hit near-record numbers as their families feel the strain of 'painful dollar'

ABC  

The evenings are always the hardest for Nai Misipeka. "I think it's the ultimate win-win," Minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy told the ABC. Pacific leaders raise it regularly, with Samoa's prime minister recently stating it was rivalling climate change as the "number one" issue the country faced. "I hate to say it if worse comes to worse, we'll get …

Linx Employment exits Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme amid worker treatment investigation
1 year, 7 months ago

Linx Employment exits Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme amid worker treatment investigation

ABC  

More than 200 Pacific workers have been left in limbo after their employer Linx Employment agreed to end its participation in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme amid worker treatment investigations. Key points: Linx Employment faces allegations it failed to provide workers with their legally contracted 30 hours per week DEWR says the company has agreed to end its participation …

Pacific farm workers welcome reforms as numbers reach record high
1 year, 9 months ago

Pacific farm workers welcome reforms as numbers reach record high

ABC  

Wages Daniel Yakapus earned picking fruit in Australia became essential when his family's lives in Vanuatu were thrown into chaos by two cyclones earlier this year. Key points: Pacific farm workers on the PALM scheme are eager for consistent income A record number of Pacific workers are in Australia right now as the federal government expands initiatives Businesses say some …

Shake-up of Pacific worker scheme leaves farmers seeking backpackers to harvest fruit, vegetable crops
1 year, 9 months ago

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

ABC  

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 …

Australia's PALM scheme has big changes on the horizon. Here's what you need to know
1 year, 10 months ago

Australia's PALM scheme has big changes on the horizon. Here's what you need to know

ABC  

Sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, there will be a big change for many Pacific labour mobility workers. Key points: A pilot program of 200 workers will be able to bring their families to Australia if they have approval from their employers and have contracts of more than one year A pilot program of 200 workers will be …

Ni-Vanuatu workers are putting Pacific values into practice in regional Australia through community service
1 year, 11 months ago

Ni-Vanuatu workers are putting Pacific values into practice in regional Australia through community service

ABC  

An integral part of Pacific culture is providing a helping hand wherever it is needed in the village. Mr Issachar is one of a growing number of workers from Vanuatu who have moved to the small town in regional Victoria under the federal government's Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. "It's about looking after each other, especially in tough times when …

Calls for more Pacific-led services for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme seasonal workers
2 years ago

Calls for more Pacific-led services for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme seasonal workers

ABC  

Asimel Bongmegal has been working on a sweet potato farm in regional Queensland for the past six months to give his family in Vanuatu a better life. Mr Bongmegal is one of more than 25,000 seasonal workers who are helping to address critical labour shortages in Australia, under the federal government's Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. "There's not a lot …

Pacific Islands fear brain drain from Australia job scheme
2 years, 2 months ago

Pacific Islands fear brain drain from Australia job scheme

Al Jazeera  

Sydney, Australia – As Pacific Island countries strive to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia and New Zealand’s seasonal job schemes are helping families regain incomes and pay for the needs of their communities. “The higher income earned in Australia helped me to take care of my family in Vanuatu, it helped pay school fees and living costs.” In Pacific …

PALM workers set to be joined by families in 2023-24 as government commits to visa scheme
2 years, 2 months ago

PALM workers set to be joined by families in 2023-24 as government commits to visa scheme

ABC  

The Australian government has committed to enabling Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers on one- to four-year placements to bring their families to Australia. Key points: Family accompaniment is only available to long-term workers In November 2022, there were 11,610 PALM scheme workers on long-term placements The program will start with up to 200 families before it is expanded In …

Successful mango season predicted for NT growers, but lingering workforce shortages remain
2 years, 4 months ago

Successful mango season predicted for NT growers, but lingering workforce shortages remain

ABC  

On Saramat "Tou" Ruchkaew's mango farm, it's all systems go. Key points: Australia is set to have a successful mango season this year, with between nine and 10 million trays predicted to be produced nationwide The industry is still dealing with COVID-related workforce shortages Farmers are calling for more flexible visa arrangements to boost staff numbers Packers and pickers are …

Pacific farm workers who breached visas by working for wrong employers fight to get them back
2 years, 7 months ago

Pacific farm workers who breached visas by working for wrong employers fight to get them back

ABC  

A group of Pacific workers who breached their visa conditions are fighting to get them back, although advocates say it should never have reached this point. Key points: Under the PALM scheme, workers can only take jobs with approved employers Officials are attempting to reinstate some of the 24 Pacific workers who are still eligible to work Farmers say the …

Agriculture visa to be ditched, Labor says, looking to Pacific to fill worker shortage as election looms
2 years, 10 months ago

Agriculture visa to be ditched, Labor says, looking to Pacific to fill worker shortage as election looms

ABC  

A federal Labor government would effectively axe Australia's agriculture visa before a foreign worker could arrive on the scheme, the party has announced. Key points: The agriculture visa was announced by the Coalition last year but no workers have arrived on the scheme An Albanese government would pay travel costs associated with bringing workers from the Pacific The VFF says …

Pacific nationals working on Queensland farms claim they are barely making enough money to survive
3 years, 1 month ago

Pacific nationals working on Queensland farms claim they are barely making enough money to survive

ABC  

Australia's seasonal worker schemes are being likened to modern slavery, with a group of Pacific workers in Queensland's Bundaberg region speaking out against their pay and living conditions. Key points: Seasonal workers in Bundaberg are raising concerns over pay and living conditions Treatment of Pacific workers in Australia likened to slavery under the seasonal worker scheme Workers call for reforms …

Seasonal workers arrive from Vanuatu to pick mangoes in the Top End
3 years, 6 months ago

Seasonal workers arrive from Vanuatu to pick mangoes in the Top End

ABC  

More than 160 seasonal workers from Vanuatu have landed in Darwin to bolster the Northern Territory's mango-picking workforce for this year's harvest. Key points: About 160 ni-Vanuatu have arrived in Darwin to pick mangoes at Top End orchards NT growers say the seasonal workers are desperately needed A second flight carrying 220 workers from Samoa is due on September 19 …

Coalition divided amid concerns agriculture visa could undermine Pacific Islands worker scheme
3 years, 9 months ago

Coalition divided amid concerns agriculture visa could undermine Pacific Islands worker scheme

ABC  

There is growing unease within the Coalition over the federal government's proposed new agriculture visa, as experts warn it could undermine Australia's flagship labour schemes for Pacific Island workers. Key points: The details of the new scheme are still unclear Unions have warned there would be an "explosion" of exploitation on farms Experts say it will compete with and undermine …

Pacific Island workers bound for Victoria to complete coronavirus quarantine in Tasmania under state deal
4 years, 2 months ago

Pacific Island workers bound for Victoria to complete coronavirus quarantine in Tasmania under state deal

ABC  

Seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands will be allowed into Victoria under special quarantine arrangements after a deal was struck between the state and Tasmania. Key points: Pacific Island workers will quarantine in Tasmania before travelling to Victorian farms In return Victoria will take Tasmania's 330-person commitment for returned travellers The announcement has prompted concerns for worker welfare due to …

Vanuatu High Commissioner investigates 'substantial' pay and welfare issues of seasonal workers in Queensland
4 years, 4 months ago

Vanuatu High Commissioner investigates 'substantial' pay and welfare issues of seasonal workers in Queensland

ABC  

Problems surrounding wages and conditions for seasonal workers in the horticulture industry must be fixed to stop them from absconding, according to Vanuatu's High Commissioner. Key points: Pacific Island workers are absconding from their approved employers in Queensland to earn more money If a worker leaves their approved employer, the consequences of their visa status are unclear 22,000 Pacific Island …

Mango industry celebrates as seasonal workers from Vanuatu touch down in Darwin
4 years, 6 months ago

Mango industry celebrates as seasonal workers from Vanuatu touch down in Darwin

ABC  

After a lot of uncertainty and some "tough" last-minute negotiations, around 160 seasonal workers from Vanuatu have landed in Darwin, as part of a trial program to fill a labour shortage for the Northern Territory's mango harvest. Key points: Around 160 Ni-Vanuatu have arrived in Darwin as part of a trial seasonal worker program for the NT's mango industry Australian …

Federal Government set to allow fruit pickers from Vanuatu into Australia despite coronavirus border closure
4 years, 7 months ago

Federal Government set to allow fruit pickers from Vanuatu into Australia despite coronavirus border closure

ABC  

The Federal Government is set to permit foreign workers to fly into Australia to help farmers harvest crops despite an inbound travel ban and surging unemployment. Key points: The Federal Government is set to allow up to 200 fruit pickers into the NT The Federal Government is set to allow up to 200 fruit pickers into the NT The workers …

Workers from Pacific Islands paying hundreds to live in cramped quarters in regional Australia
4 years, 9 months ago

Workers from Pacific Islands paying hundreds to live in cramped quarters in regional Australia

ABC  

Every week, six-foot-tall Andrew Suitupe hands over $150 to sleep on a tiny couch in a cramped share-house in regional Australia, thousands of kilometres from his Samoan home. Key points: Workers from the Pacific Island say they had shifts cut during the COVID-19 pandemic Their pay slips show they still had hundreds of dollars in deductions taken from their pay …

Australia's Seasonal Workers Program a win for Pacific Islanders, too
6 years, 9 months ago

Australia's Seasonal Workers Program a win for Pacific Islanders, too

ABC  

In the past week, reports emerged about abuse of migrant workers in Australia's government-led Seasonal Workers Program. The scheme brings thousands of Pacific workers to fill labour shortages in rural Australia. Why the scheme makes sense There is a boundless supply of low-skill workers in the Pacific region that lack formal employment opportunities at home. Pacific workers positive The scheme …

Seasonal workers numbers swell in the south with berry expansion
7 years, 9 months ago

Seasonal workers numbers swell in the south with berry expansion

ABC  

The seasonal labour shortage has been a wake up call for parts of Australia's horticulture sector this year. It has prompted some growers to look more seriously at what Pacific workers can offer under the Federal Government's Seasonal Worker Program. "If there was a war in the Korean Peninsula, you'll probably find that overnight, you'll have Korean, Japanese and probably …

'Horticultural visa' needed to solve Top End labour issues
8 years ago

'Horticultural visa' needed to solve Top End labour issues

ABC  

A special horticulture visa is needed to help solve Northern Territory farmers' labour issues, according to a Top End melon grower. Middle Point melon grower Dave Cormac said every year there were fewer people available during the peak harvest season. Seasonal Worker Program not suited to small farms After struggling to find enough backpackers to pick his melons in the …

Seasonal Worker Program increases by 33 per cent across Northern Territory farms
8 years, 3 months ago

Seasonal Worker Program increases by 33 per cent across Northern Territory farms

ABC  

Northern Territory farmers are increasingly turning to workers from the Pacific Islands and East Timor to fill their labour demands. Horticulture farms across the Northern Territory have this year employed 33 per cent more workers through the Seasonal Worker Program than last year. "We want people that can come back for the next five years, that are going to be …

Vanuatu steps up to the plate to offer overseas workers
8 years, 4 months ago

Vanuatu steps up to the plate to offer overseas workers

ABC  

The government of Vanuatu has stepped in to offer agricultural workers to Tasmania as the uncertainty of the backpacker tax continues. The High Commissioner of Vanuatu Kalfau Kaloris said the delegation wanted to increase the number of people taking part in the Pacific Seasonal Workers Program. "We have a very good relationship with Australia and around 1,000 workers from Vanuatu …

Tasmanian fruit grower fears industry destruction over foreign worker tax changes
9 years, 4 months ago

Tasmanian fruit grower fears industry destruction over foreign worker tax changes

ABC  

A fruit grower in Tasmania preparing for the summer season fears foreign worker tax changes could destroy the industry next year. The Federal Government's removal of the tax-free threshold for some foreign workers — dubbed the backpacker tax — is set to be implemented mid-next year, and would see anyone on a working holiday visa forced to pay tax on …

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