Fijians earn more
SEASONAL WORKER PROGRAM
FIJIANS were earning $F1766 weekly, more than employees from any other country while working under the Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) in Australia, says a new report by the International Labour Organisation.
Titled “Seasonal worker schemes in the Pacific through the lens of international human rights and labour standards”, data for the report was collected through individual face-to-face interviews with seasonal workers in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu.
“In Australia, workers from Fiji had the highest earnings ($A1138 per week) and workers from Vanuatu the lowest ($A834),” the report said.
“In New Zealand, Samoan workers had the highest earnings ($A1093) and workers from Fiji the lowest ($A736).
“The vast majority of respondents were engaged in the horticulture industry, where the physically harder tasks of pruning and picking were mostly done by male workers, while many women were employed in packhouses where they weighed, sorted and packed fruits and vegetables.
“A small number of respondents worked in other industries, including three workers from Fiji and one from Vanuatu who worked at tourist resorts in Australia.
“Under the regulatory provisions for the protection of migrant workers under the RSE and SWP, workers are entitled to equality of treatment with citizens under the relevant labour legislation.
“This includes the same minimum pay as citizen employees in the same positions, and there are provisions guaranteeing both SWP and RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) participants a set number of work hours per week on average over the duration of their employment contract.”