Participants guarantee system empowers women in Coral Coast
Government is now focusing on sending more people for Seasonal Workers Programmes. The Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations is now partnering with the District Advisory Councillors and Tikinas to make this initiative happen. Minister Jone Usamate met with some district advisory counsellors at the Ministry of Employment office in Ba yesterday to discuss this initiative. “We know that people from the rural areas they can handle the kind of work that is required,” he said. Mr Usamate added that people have been going to Australia and New Zealand with lack of discipline. “We want to have a good crop of people going this time,” he said. The ministry is now working in partnership with the district advisory councillors, Tikinas, Turagani-Koro and chiefs to select people from their district for the Seasonal Workers Programme. “People still have the freedom to apply on their own, but we are also establishing this district team like we doing here for district advisory councillors and also Tikina teams. Mr Usamate said the advisory team would know those that would enhance Fiji’s reputation. “Right now there are countries in the Pacific that are sending up to 3000 workers a year to New Zealand, Fiji sends up to 100 plus,” he said. Ba District Advisory chairman Yogesh Chand said: “I would like thank the Fiji Government for this initiative.” “We will work together with the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations to send more people from our districts for Seasonal Workers Programme,” he said. Last month Mr Usamate visited seasonal workers in New Zealand.