NEW Zealand Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has put his support behind an evaluation of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, which shows significant and increasing gains in productivity in the horticulture and viticulture sectors.
The report, covering the period 2007 to 2009, was released yesterday by the Department of Labour.
It shows productivity gains reported in the scheme’s second season together with improvements in harvest quality.
Other findings include:
• Employers in the horticulture and viticulture sectors have greater access to a reliable, stable, seasonal workforce.
• Pacific workers and three Pacific states have benefited economically from participation in the RSE policy along with skill development for workers.
Dr Coleman said the scheme was clearly delivering but also improving over time.
“The Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme is making a positive contribution to a sustainable labour supply in industries which have had many problems securing a consistent workforce in the past.
“We hope stories of apples rotting on the ground for lack of pickers are now a thing of the past.”
Dr Coleman said despite the scheme’s success it was important to recognise it as very much a “New Zealanders first” policy.
“The aim is to top up the available domestic workforce, not replace it, and the evaluation report shows that is happening,” Dr Coleman said.
The economic downturn has seen more suitable and available local workers looking for employment in the horticulture and viticulture sectors.
As a result, the maximum numbers of Recognised Seasonal Employer workers that can be employed, and the periods of time they can be employed, have been reduced.
Meanwhile, the Government is warning people wanting to join the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme to watch out for bogus operators.
The Labour Mobility Unity and the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara are concerned that unlicensed operators are trying to recruit workers and demand money from them.
The Director of External Trade of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hence Vaekesa has told Radio New Zealand International that the problem surfaced before a licence and certificate were introduced but he says people may still be trying to cheat.
He says both the public and recruitment agents are being warned.
Mr Vaekesa says they have to be very careful on which agents that they know. They tell the agents to also display their license and the public is also being informed.
He says if agents are in doubt, the Labour Mobility Unit and New Zealand High Commission can advise.
Mr Vaekesa says penalities could be faced by anyone caught recruiting without a licence.
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