Labor Department awaits Canberra report on recent seasonal worker crisis

The Department of Labor has completed a report into the recent crisis involving a group of Vanuatu seasonal workers based at the Northern Territory, Australia company “Plant, Grow and Pick”.

Commissioner of Labor, Lionel Kaluat, says his office together with the Australian High Commission in Port Vila have interviewed the majority of the 22 workers. And a report has been compiled and sent to Canberra together with the workers’ pay slips for the employer to verify if these are correct. Kaluat says they are awaiting the final outcome report from Canberra before closing the file on the matter.

He insists marketing of Vanuatu is a concern in such issues because it is the name and reputation of the country that is tarnished not that of workers. He considers very serious and warns that any worker who disobeys and manipulates issues will be disciplined in line with the Employment Act.

The situation of the workers who returned last month came to the public attention when one or two of them went to the media in Bundaberg and complained about the condition of their lodging and of not being paid their full entitlements.

“We are following up on this issue and we are relying mostly on our counterparts in Australia to do the follow up,” Commissioner Kaluat says.

“The report against this farmer (Plant, Grow and Pick), the media picked up and it has become a matter for the Australian Government through the Department of Employment to make checks on the issue.”

Kaluat says on Vanuatu’s side, advice had always been made very clear in pre-departure briefings for all workers going to Australia or New Zealand that if they encounter any issues the media is the last place to go to.

Workers are instructed they must follow the channel of communication where they bring all issues of concern to their team leaders, then to their supervisors in companies and finally to managers, he says.

“If you’re not happy after fulfilling this process, you must report back to the Labor Commissioner or officer-in-charge of ESU so we on the level of Government speak with the company and with our counterparts in either Australia or New Zealand,” he says they tell workers.

“But media must be avoided at all times because if we do not have the correct information it can paint a negative picture just because of our ignorance,” Kaluat added.

He says while workers feel frustrated and have spoken to the media, the Department thinks they have room for resolving the issue.

“We together with the Australian High Commission have spoken to the majority of the workers concerned. A report has been sent to Canberra with pay slips of workers for Canberra to verify with the employer to see if these are correct.”

The Commissioner says the case is not different from others they have seen in the past and as such they are experienced on dealing with these issues.

“The point of communication is very important because the main thing is we do not want to affect the market, because it is not the name of the worker that will be affected but Vanuatu’s. When you cause a farmer to be unhappy our marketing will be affected.”

“We must be mindful how we address such issues. We keep telling workers to be strong to follow the process because any matter of concern must be properly addressed as much as possible as we do not want to tarnish the reputation of Vanuatu,” Labor Commissioner said.

He added that for him the matter is no longer an issue as “Canberra is looking into the matter and once their Ombudsman has produced a report on the matter we will consider it closed.”

The 22 people affected had initially gone to work under agent Emmanuel Bani for three months but encountered issues that caused them end their contract and join Plant, Grow and Pick where they worked another three months.