The new Australia Pacific Engagement Visa has sparked great interest from Pacific workers in Australia, however there is a need for clarification around
Unions and economists are joining in a call to overhaul the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.
New Zealand s Government announced this month about 2400 more migrant workers will be allowed into the country for seasonal horticultural work, many from the Pacific Islands.
Pacific governments remain keen to get as many of their workers into New Zealand s Recognised Seasonal Employer, or RSE, scheme, as possible
But Unions and economists say fruit and vegetable pickers from the Pacific Islands suffer high costs and poor pay and are often left with almost no money to send home.
The value of RSE workers was brought into sharp focus during the Covid-19 lockdown with many growers forced to watch produce shrivel on the vine.