Pacific Islands unite in addressing Seasonal Workers challenges

By Lagi Keresoma/

Port Vila, Vanuatu: Representatives from Trade and Workers Unions around the Pacific are conducting a week-long workshop in Vanuatu to share and discuss challenges faced by workers under the New Zealand seasonal workers and Australia’s Pacific-Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) schemes.

Spearheading the workshop is the Pacific Islands Council of Trade Union (PICTU) and central to the workshop is finding ways to:

• Strengthen the organisational skills of organizers of selected Pacific Islands Trade Unions responsible for migrant workers in the PALM Scheme;
• Develop partnership on common issues to improve labour migration structures in the region and
• Plan necessary measures to improve the reintegration process with support services provided by the Union.

Representing Samoa at the workshop is Samoa First Union Director, Seveaoga Saina Tomi Fetalaiga who is one of the three Vice Chairpersons of PICTU.

Listening to the workers
Present for the first time at such workshops are several workers who have served under both schemes, and they shared their experiences, the challenges, the frustration and difficulties faced under the schemes.

Some of them are returning to work in Australia and took advantage of the workshop to ask PICTU and the Australia Workers Union (AWU) representative Latileta Gaga to assist them with some of the issues that still exist at some workplaces.

Some of the issues are common with all Pacific Island workers under the schemes and some have been addressed but there are some issues that Union representatives have never heard of before.

6 minutes to shower
Several women have confirmed at the workshop that they are only given 6 minutes to use the shower.

Before it was 3 minutes, but after complaining to the employer, they received only 6 minutes to take a shower.

Ms. Gaga was appalled and had promised to look into it.

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) representative Latileta Gaga.

Another persisting issue is the sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

One of the cases was reported and the company was closed, however, the same employer created a new company under a different name and is recruiting workers from the Pacific again.

According to Ms. Gaga, the workers’ complaints should have been dealt with as a criminal matter.

The Samoa First Workers Union (SFWU) Director, Seveoaoga Saina Tomi Fetalagiga speaking at the meeting.

Cultural inclusion on Labor Mobility Scheme
The Australian Workers Union (AWU) representative Latileta Gaga commended Samoa for the inclusion of her cultural aspect into the labor mobility scheme in Australia.

Ms. Gaga said Samoan workers under the PALM scheme are well organized and she believes bringing their culture into the workplace they serve has created a disciplinary and well organised environment.

One of the instances she used to justify her comment is the way the Samoan workers organised themselves when invited to attend meetings with AWU.

There are about 40 to 80 Samoan workers and unlike other Pacific Island workers who all attended a meeting, Samoa selects only 15 team leaders from 80 workers to represent them and then relay the meetings outcome to their groups.

According to Samoa First Workers Union (SFWU) Director, Seveoaoga Saina Tomi Fetalagiga, before the workers leave Samoa, they go through pre-departure sessions which is fronted by the Government officials, financial institutions and SFWU.

Each entity performs different roles at the pre-departure session, and SFWUs role is not only to ensure the workers understand what to expect but ensuring they are aware of the importance of joining a worker’s union in Australia.

The pre-departure session also highlights the importance and uniqueness of the Samoan culture and that they are ambassadors of that culture wherever they go.

The workers are also reminded before departure, to “remember your family and the reason why you left them behind” – Manatua lou faleo’o pe a to manuia.”