Tonga wants more rural work visas in Australia and hopes they will ease youth unemployment

The Tongan government hopes to increase the number of workers from the kingdom being allowed into Australia each year.

Tongan Minister for Internal Affairs, Sosefo Fe’ao Vakata, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation today that more than 1000 applicants hoped to find work placement in Australia under the country’s Pacific Harvest Scheme.

“There is some work [back in Tonga], but not as good an income as what they get in Australia,” the Minister said.

And the Minister said he hoped the scheme would help solve the kingdom’s unemployment problem by creating opportunities for school leavers.

A total of 2179 Tongan workers are in Australia under the Pacific Harvest Scheme’s seasonal worker programme which sends workers to rural areas.

The programme allows workers from Pacific Island nations to work in Australia for up to six months a year.

Hon. Vakata acknowledged that some workers employed under the scheme had been ripped off, with one group of Pacific Islanders workers in Victoria earning a pittance for their labour.

The ABC reported earlier this year that the workers were paid as little as a $9 a week after deductions to pick fruit and vegetables on Australian farms by a company that sponsored their visas under the seasonal workers’ programme.

“I’m worried, but Fair Work Australia is there, the ombudsman, and the department of employment,” the Minister said.

“If the employer is not doing the right thing, they will penalise the employer.”

Hon. Vakata told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he hoped every Tongan worker wanting to go to Australia would be able to go.

“A lot of our students don’t have jobs in Tonga, so we’ll be looking to Australia.

“There are a lot of opportunities in Australia for students who have already left school, also the workers that have registered in our list.”

Countries taking part in the seasonal workers’ scheme include Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

According to the Australian National University’s DevPolicy blog, New Zealand has a far more successful seasonal workers’ scheme because it is focussed on an export market that has far tougher legal requirements for workers’ rights.

The main points

  • The Tongan government hopes to increase the number of workers from the kingdom being allowed into Australia each year.
  • Tongan Minister for Internal Affairs, Sosefo Fe’ao Vakata, said more than 1000 applicants hoped to find a work placement in Australia.
  • A total of 2179 Tongan workers are in Australia under Australia’s seasonal worker programme for Pacific countries.
  • However, Hon. Vakata acknowledged that some workers had been ripped off, with one group of Pacific Islanders workers in Victoria earning less than $10 a week.

For more information

Tongan government hopes to increase number of workers on Australian seasonal worker programme (ABC)

Seasonal farm workers receiving as little as $9 a week after deductions, investigation reveals

Seasonal Worker Programme (Australia)

NZ’s seasonal worker success: lessons for Australia (Australian National University)

About The Author

Sometimes when a business is growing, it needs a little help.

Right now Kaniva News provides a free, politically independent, bilingual news service for readers around the world that is absolutely unique. We are the largest New Zealand-based Tongan news service, and our stories reach Tongans  wherever they are round the world. But as we grow, there are increased demands on Kaniva News for translation into Tongan on our social media accounts and for the costs associated with expansion. We believe it is important for Tongans to have their own voice and for Tongans to preserve their language, customs and heritage. That is something to which we are strongly committed. That’s why we are asking you to consider sponsoring our work and helping to preserve a uniquely Tongan point of view for our readers and listeners.

spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img

Latest news

Related news