09 Jun Fiji village seasonal work ban labeled ‘ruthless’
A Pacific seasonal worker in a Hawke’s Bay orchard Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
The opposition National Federation Party in Fiji says banning whole villages from seasonal employment schemes is ruthless and unfair.
About 25 villages have been banned for four years from the schemes in New Zealand and Australia, as the government said seasonal workers from the villages damaged Fiji’s reputation.
It said New Zealand employers reported misconduct and disorderly behaviour from the workers, such as high rates absenteeism, not showing respect, poor leadership, and unhygienic living.
But the NFP president, Lieutenant-Colonel Pio Tikoduadua, said it was the worker selection process and not the villages that was at fault.
“This is a very ruthless way of reacting. Banning a village that knows totally nothing about how these people were selected to go in the first place is totally unfair and is totally uncalled for,” he said.
“The selection was done by the National Employment Centre … The government, really what they should do is change the selection process. Have a look at it so that it’s better reflective of the kind of people you want to send to New Zealand or Australia.”
Formerly a government minister with the current Fiji First-led government, Mr Tikoduadua recently joined the opposition complaining of a climate of fear and intolerance of dissent within the governing party.
Many of the villages banned from the schemes are in Mr Tikoduadua’s home province Tailevu, and he said the bans could be a result of his defection.
“I hope that is not the reason but … this is typically how things are going about in Fiji today. If you do not stand in support of the government then the whole village and the whole province gets to suffer consequently.”
The minister for employment Jone Usamate said he meted out the bans after receiving a report from the government in New Zealand.
RNZ Pacific has lodged a request with the New Zealand government under the Official Information Act to see the report and Mr Tikoduadua has called on Mr Usamate to make it public.
The workers were employed by the New Zealand companies Provine, Bostock, Mr Apple, Teamwork and Apata.
One of the companies contacted by RNZ Pacific said it was unable to discuss employment matters.
RNZ