Seasonal workers

So after moving to Stawell in 2020, Junior Issachar made a conscious effort to get involved with his new community.

"Our passion is to be a blessing … and put a smile on someone's face," he said. 

ABC Pacific reports 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 (PALM) scheme.

And when they are not working at the town's meatworks, they can often be found out in the community visiting the elderly and people living with disabilities.  

Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Saunoamaalií Karanina Sumeo, who led an investigation into the mistreatment​ of RSE workers​ last year, says the issues "should have been addressed first" before the scheme resumed this year. 

PMN News reports she claims Pacific countries hold a special kind of power, because countries like New Zealand and Australia need workers more than workers need them.

Chief Willy Grey Plasua said this would ensure the cultural and faith welfare of Vanuatu citizens working in Australia is maintained.

In his speech welcoming Wong on Monday, Chief Plasua said the scheme was a highly profitable opportunity for the young people of Vanuatu.

But he said it also has a negative impact, in particular it increases domestic violence because the workers become vulnerable to immorality.

Chief Plasua blames this on the lack of a custom relationship, because neither their chief nor their pastor is present.

Attempts to question the Labour Commissioner of Vanuatu, Murielle Meltenoven, on this subject has been unsuccessful.

Daily Post is now attempting to speak with seasonal worker agents to find out if seasonal workers are properly briefed on how to seek legal counsel in the event they get in trouble with the law overseas

It comes as the Vanuatu Opposition calls on the government to repatriate hundreds of seasonal workers who have been unable to return home for months.

With Vanuatu's borders closed for much of the pandemic, some seasonal workers have been in Australia and New Zealand for as long as two years now.

There are around 1000 in Australia and 600 in New Zealand waiting to fly home.

Vanuatu's Labour Commissioner, Murielle Meltenoven, said they needed to be patient, and that the government was set to announce new repatriation flights "very soon".

Around 12,000 seasonal workers have come into Australia over the past year from Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga and Solomon Islands but of those, more than 1000 have absconded.

However, the government's campaign, which featured posters, faced serious public backlash, with critics saying it created fear and shame among workers.

Bundaberg Pastoral care worker Jeff Smith said the campaign was one of fear.

"Every word on that thing is fear driven, there is no compassion," he told Pacific Beat.

In the last 18 months, around 12,000 workers have come into Australia from countries such as Vanuatu and Samoa.

But how many have stayed in the jobs, they were contracted to do?

ABC Rural has been told more than 1,000 of these workers have absconded, with many poached by labour hire companies that are not licensed to do so.

What's going wrong?

Speaking to RN, Richard Shannon from Growcom said across Australia, farmers were reporting seasonal workers suddenly leaving their jobs.

The ruling will include Pacific seasonal workers but advocates say more needs to be done to protect workers from exploitation.

Joe Karu from the Vanuatu National Workers Union welcomes the news, saying that previously the piece rate meant some seasonal workers couldn't keep up with the cost of living.

"It's very good news," he said.

Pacific labour expert Rochelle Lee Bailey from the Australian National University has examined the seasonal workers scheme since 2007 and said this decision is a long time coming.

Kava importation is prohibited in Australia. There is an exemption that allows passengers (18 years or over) to travel with up to 4kg of kava (roots or dried form) into Australia for personal use only.

It is alleged that a parliamentarian is using the seasonal workers as a means of getting the products into Australia in the form of commercialisation the Vanuatu Daily Post reports.

According to the Acting Principal Biosecurity Officer (PBO) of the DOB, Sam Armstrong, only those who have a valid kava export licence and export facility can export.

As part of the government arrangment, RSE labourers will complete five days' isolation at their places of work instead of the normal two-week stay in hotel quarantine.

New Zealand Ethical Employers chairperson Tanya Pouwhare said the incoming workforce leave behind struggling families and economies at home.

She says they're cooperating with strict health measures to keep them safe from Covid.

Tanya Pouwhare said 150 RSE workers will arrive from Samoa on Saturday and in upcoming weeks, a Tongan contingent.