Hopes hinge on migrant workers
Nelson’s meat processing plant manager says it is critical extra migrant workers are able to enter the country quickly to help fill a labour void during a busy period.
The Government has made exceptions to immigration rules to allow more people into the country to help fill skill gaps in some primary industries, with an extra 1580 workers able to come to New Zealand to take up jobs in the dairy, meat processing, and forestry sectors.
Under the change, an extra 500 experienced meat processors will be able to come to New Zealand, which comes on top of an existing border exception for 150 workers for the sector.
Alliance Group’s Nelson plant manager Stephen Baird said like the rest of the meat processing and exporting industry, the Nelson plant was continuing to deal with staff shortages in the tight labour market. The Nelson plant was about 30 workers short, during what was a busy processing period for sheep and lambs.
‘‘The sector’s chronic labour shortage has been exacerbated by the Covid19 pandemic with members of our team required to isolate or look after family members,’’ Baird said.
He said they had put initiatives in place to try and attract more workers, including a staff referral payment and an increased minimum hourly rate, ‘‘but the reality is with low unemployment and borders only just re-opening, the local labour market is tight’’.
The border class exceptions took effect from last Tuesday, ahead of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa from July 4 which required employers to be accredited to hire migrant workers.
‘‘The announcement by the Government to allow more meat processing workers into the country from overseas is welcome, but it is critical the visa process is efficient so we can get migrant workers into jobs as quickly as possible,’’ Baird said.
‘‘Without sufficient labour, we cannot run the plant at the desired capacity and maximise revenue for the cooperative, our farmers and rural communities.’’
Along with more migrant meat processors, under the change an extra 500 migrant dairy workers will be allowed into New Zealand along with 300 forestry workers and up to 280 wood processors and manufacturers.
‘‘It is critical the visa process is efficient so we can get migrant workers into jobs as quickly as possible.’’
Stephen Baird
Alliance Group’s Nelson plant manager