Transient worker scheme gets the thumbs-up from growers

For the first time in four years, New Zealand's horticulture and viticulture industries have not been compromised by labour shortages, thanks to a trial scheme which allows foreigners into the country for seasonal work.

The pilot, which began in December, allowed growers to hire 2000 overseas workers on short-term employment contracts to pick and pack crops in regions of declared labour shortages.

Peter MacKay, national seasonal worker co-ordinator for Horticulture New Zealand, told a Pacific Co-operation Foundation conference on labour mobility that the $2.4 billion horticulture and viticulture industry had in the past suffered from lost production due to delayed picking or crop maintenance.

But the seasonal work permit scheme, with the use of a co-ordinated network to move a mobile labour force from one area to another along a harvest trail, had helped the industry out of a difficult situation.

"For the first time in four years we have not had significant labour shortages which put crops at risk."

Mr MacKay told the Weekend Herald that four years ago the industry was losing millions in lost production due to labour shortages when unemployment rates were higher than now.

But in January to July this year there had not been widespread problems despite record low unemployment.

Mr MacKay said there was effectively zero unemployment in the harvest regions. Five years ago in the Bay of Plenty about 5000 local people were available for work, but this year the number was fewer than 50.

A seasonal labour strategy involving public and private sector interest groups was launched in November.

Mr MacKay, as the regional co-ordinator for the main growing areas, worked with local co-ordinators in high-production regions to refer the work-permit holders between regions.

It was hoped to access further global labour but preferably workers who could be trained then return, unlike those seeking holiday jobs.

There had also been some successful use of approval-in-principle schemes, where employers could apply for temporary foreign workers.

The employers had to assume responsibility for the workers and pay a $3000 bond for each, to ensure they returned to their home countries.

John Bostock, who runs 24 organic apple orchards in Hawke's Bay, said he had used the scheme to bring in 12 workers from Vanuatu and 17 from Indonesia. It had proved a "huge success" and next season he planned to apply for 200 workers from the Pacific.