Immigration NZ seeks more details

Immigration New Zealand is seeking further comment regarding submissions on the Alliance Group’s application to import 100 overseas meat workers for its Southland plants.

The immigration agency confirmed on Friday it had received submissions on the request for an approval in principle (AIP), which would enable the meat-processing company to recruit overseas workers.

The agency would be seeking further comment on matters raised in those submissions, a spokesperson said. They said the timeframe for a decision would depend on the timeliness of the responses received, and whether these resolved matters, or if further clarification was required.

Immigration NZ guidelines state employers need to meet certain criteria and provide supporting evidence to be granted an AIP. This includes evidence showing that there are no New Zealand citizens, or residence-class visa holders, available or readily able to be trained to do the work.

All AIP requests involving more than five workers require consultation with various external parties (for example, the Council of Trade Unions and Work and Income) about the availability of Kiwis to do the work.

The Alliance application became public three weeks ago amid New Zealand Meat Workers Union concerns that willing Southland workers would be bypassed if the bid was successful, and because 600 of them had been turned down for jobs at the Lorneville plant, near Invercargill, last year.

The company stated at the time its preference was to employ locals, but a worker shortage meant other avenues for recruitment had to be looked at.

In response to criticism from the union that the employment criteria were too harsh for seasonal workers, Alliance stated it had employed 84 per cent of the candidates who passed the pre-employment medical examination.

The union and Alliance representatives met at the Lorneville plant on Thursday to discuss recruitment issues, and while the outcome was not revealed, OtagoSouthland union secretary Gary Davis said he was satisfied with the information provided, but would not be commenting further, until the union heard from Immigration New Zealand.

An Alliance spokesperson said the company had no further comment.

Previously, Davis acknowledged that some OtagoSouthland meat works had difficulty getting workers from the district and had to import them, either from overseas or out of town.

Silver Fern Farms’ Finegand plant in south Otago was an example. Balclutha, with a population of 4000, was the nearest town for recruitment.

Silver Fern Farms’ head of sustainability and communications Justin Courtney said the company did employ workers under the AIP scheme, notably skilled Samoan staff, and had worked with the Red Cross to provide roles for Syrian refugees.