Signing of the First Managed Intra-Pacific Labour Mobility Programme
Tamakautoga, Niue – The Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) which governs the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot is being signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue by the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands. The Pilot is the first managed intra-Pacific labour mobility programme for the Pacific and is facilitated through the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Labour Mobility Secretariat under the framework of the PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM). The movement of Pacific workers to find employment in other Pacific countries is not new. For centuries, this has been the practice and in recent history was largely subject to individuals responding to job opportunities advertised or inter-departmental arrangement for Pacific individuals. While such movement has its benefits, there is consensus that managed labour mobility programmes administered through bilateral labour migration agreements can deliver triple wins for the workers, their countries of origin, and the countries of destination that receive them. The Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) which governs the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot is being signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue by the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands. These mutual benefits have prompted the proliferation of labour mobility schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes. However, there has been limited effort to progress bilateral intra-pacific labour mobility programmes until the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue. Niue was formally recognised as a labour receiving country during the 2022 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM), where they registered their interest to receive labour from other Pacific countries to meet acute labour shortages in the country. A scoping study by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit in early 2023 identified the health sector as priority and recommended a short-term pilot programme to trial intra-Pacific labour mobility and to later inform the design of a more sustainable longer term labour mobility scheme for the country. In November 2023, the Niuean government endorsed the proposal for a pilot programme for the health sector and the PACER Plus Implementation Unit then worked with the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands to develop an Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) that would deliver mutual benefits to both governments particularly the Solomon Island workers and the Niue Health Sector which will employ them. The Pilot covers four Solomon Island nurses who will work in the Niue health sector for six months commencing from August 2024. The Permanent Secretary for the Solomon Island Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET), Mr. Colin Beck said: “Solomon Islands economic growth is not keeping up with its fast-growing population; more than 20,000 youths annually look for jobs. The narrow economic base of the country is unable to generate sufficient employment for all. There is also a large number of nurses graduating out of Solomon Islands national institutions each year. The retirement age in Solomon Islands is 55 years, thus we have experienced retired nurses available for job opportunities in overseas market. The Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot puts a human face to the two nation’s relations and presents a new beginning in strengthening of people-centered relations that can grow and diversify to other sectors. Solomon Islands has a deep work ready pool we can draw on.” Secretary of the Government of Niue, Ms Peleni Talagi, (left) shakes hands with the Permanent Secretary of Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Mr. Collin Beck, during the signing of the Inter-Agency Understanding in Tamakautoga, Niue. As requested by the Niuean government, the Pilot will target retired Solomon Island nurses below the Niuean retirement age of 60 due to their vast experience. The nurses will predominantly work in the Niuean aged care unit but will also serve as general nurses in the main hospital in Alofi. For Niue, acute labour shortages exists as a critical development constraint across all sectors. Honourable Crossley Tatui, Minister for Infrastructure and Finance in Niue said: “The Niuean population experienced a dramatic decline in the 1970s and has remained relatively stagnant at around 1600 in the past 20 years. The working aged population has seen a consistent decrease over the last decades while the retired aged group has consistently increased, with about 20 percent of the population above retirement age. Labour shortage is therefore a very real problem for Niue and labour mobility provides the only viable solution to addressing this development constraint.” The Minister further highlighted that labour shortage exists throughout key economic sectors and there is great interest to expand the intra-pacific labour mobility programme to other sectors based on the learnings from this initial pilot in the health sector. The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) recognises the importance of intra-Pacific labour mobility to delivering mutual wins for PACER Plus Parties by creating employment for labour sending countries with surplus labour supply whilst alleviating labour shortages that constrain sustainable development in Pacific labour receiving countries like Niue. The PPIU extends its gratitude to the Niue National Labour Mobility Steering Committee and the Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Unit for the collaborative efforts to make this Arrangement the first of its kind in the Pacific. It is committed to working closely with the goverments of Niue and Solomon Islands to monitor the Pilot and to ensure that mutual benefits for both countries are sustained. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Regional Workshop on Skills Development Underway in Samoa
APIA, Samoa – The Regional Workshop on Skills Development commenced yesterday (8 July) in Apia, Samoa. This workshop is part of an ongoing commitment to ensure that the PACER Plus Agreement and Arrangement on Labour Mobility are responsive to the development needs of Parties, specifically in the area of skills development. The PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM), a regional framework signed in 2017 by Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, aims to strengthen labour mobility cooperation. The framework operates alongside the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus agreement. The 2022 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) directed an independent evaluation of the ALM, which was then completed in December 2023. The Review highlighted the critical importance of skills development for sustainable economic development in the region and the need to strengthen the ALM to support skills development and the generation of net skills gains for Pacific labour sending countries. The Regional Workshop on Skills Development had over 40 participants including qualifications officials, trade and labour mobility officials as well as private sector representatives from the 10 PACER Plus countries. The Regional Workshop on Skills Development, taking place from 8-12 July 2024, is an initial forum that aims to inform the design of the new ALM and the broader PACER Plus work programme. It brings together over 40 participants including qualifications officials, trade and labour mobility officials as well as private sector representatives from the 10 PACER Plus countries, including Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Representatives from the Pacific Community’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (SPC-EQAP), International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Dr. Opeti Pulotu, CEO of Tonga National Qualifications Authority Board speaks at the Regional Workshop on Skills Development. Dr. Opeti Pulotu, CEO of Tonga National Qualifications Authority Board, emphasised the importance of aligning qualifications frameworks to meet both domestic and international skill needs: “By harmonising our qualifications frameworks with both national and international skill demands, we can ensure that our workforce is exceptionally equipped for local opportunities while remaining highly competitive on the global stage.” Ms. Lita Lui, CEO of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the importance of private sector engagement in the design and implementation of skills training: “Engaging the private sector in the design and implementation of the National Workforce Plan is vital to ensure that industry demand is met. When businesses are involved in shaping this Plan and its training programs, we can create a workforce that is ready to meet the current and future needs of the market.” Ms. Lita Lui, CEO of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the importance of private sector engagement in the design and implementation of skills training at the Regional Workshop of Skills Development. Over the course of the five-day workshop, participants will engage in interactive sessions, group work, and discussions. Key topics that will be covered include the alignment of skills training systems to skills needs, both domestic and labour mobility demands, qualifications recognition, the role of labour mobility in skills development, and finding solutions for issues such as brain drain. This workshop is a step towards ensuring that the PACER Plus ALM not only enhances labour mobility but also supports sustainable livelihoods and economic development across the Pacific region. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Pacific Officials Receive Training on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements
NADI, Fiji – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is currently hosting the first regional training workshop on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) in Nadi, Fiji. The workshop, which runs from 20-24 May 2024, aims to build the capacity of Pacific government focal points in the design, negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of BLMAs. Pacific officials at the first regional training workshop on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements in Nadi, Fiji. BLMAs have gained prominence as tools to facilitate labour mobility and play an important role in ensuring that the rights of migrant workers are protected. But in practice, their design, content, monitoring, and implementation can restrict their potential impact. During this five-day training workshop, participants will be trained by international experts on how to address these constraints, drawing on regional and international best practices. A highlight of the workshop is targeted training on negotiation skills including role-play simulations aimed at empowering officials with the skills to better negotiate labour mobility agreements that promote their interests particularly in situations of unequal power relations. The workshop aims to culminate in the development of a Pacific-specific matrix to assist officials in the design, implementation and monitoring of Bilateral Labour Migration Instruments including existing labour mobility MOUs. “This regional workshop is a much-needed capacity building initiative for Vanuatu as we are currently reviewing our Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and are looking to also review our Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) for the New Zealand Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE). This being the first regional training of its kind has addressed key capacity constraints that we face in terms of negotiating, implementing and effectively monitoring bilateral labour mobility agreements and we are therefore very grateful to PPIU, ILO and IOM for this very valuable opportunity,” said Ms. Leisei Jimmy, Labour Mobility Manager for Vanuatu. “As the CEO for the Niue Chamber of Commerce, this has been an enlightening valuable opportunity which has stressed the importance of inclusivity in the design, implementation, and monitoring of our labour mobility agreements. With the help of PACER Plus, we will be launching labour mobility pilots in the next months, and we look forward to using what we have been learning this week to ensuring that our bilateral labour agreement, including for this pilot, are rights-based and conducive to delivering the interests of both Niue and other Pacific labour sending countries,” said Ms. Catherine Papani, CEO of the Niue Chamber of Commerce. A highlight of the workshop is targeted training on negotiation skills aimed at empowering officials with the skills to better negotiate labour mobility agreements. The PPIU is particularly grateful to the ILO and the IOM for their invaluable support in the successful delivery of this first regional workshop. “This regional workshop is a true testament to the value of cooperation and collaboration amongst regional stakeholders. The partnership with ILO, ITC-ILO, and IOM, through their Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF), has allowed Pacific officials the opportunity to be trained by international experts and access internationally tested tools that will improve labour mobility good governance and the development of effective bilateral labour migration instruments for the Pacific. We look forward to continuing this level of collaboration into the future as we collaborate to increase the benefits of labour mobility for the Pacific,” said Dr. Alisi Kautoke Holani, PPIU’s Labour Mobility Specialist. -END- More articles like this one
Outcomes Document on the 2023 PLMAM Reflects Significant Progress and Collaboration
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – The 2023 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM), held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 20-24 November 2023, marked a milestone in the cooperative efforts of Pacific labour mobility stakeholders, resulting in a comprehensive Outcomes Document that outlines crucial decisions and initiatives for the region. Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai (seated, second from right) with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Matai Seremaiah (seated, far right), Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Rick Tchamako (seated, far left) with members of the diplomatic corps and PLMAM 2023 participants from Vanuatu and the region. Government officials from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Timor Leste, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu participated in the five-day proceedings. Additionally, attendees included labour mobility workers, Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) schemes employers, industry representatives, trade unions, private sector, academia, civil society, and representatives from regional and international organisations. Key highlights from the Outcome Document include: 1. PLMAM 2023 identified the following as priority areas for action: Develop Pacific Guidelines for Sustainable Reintegration. Acknowledge the commitments from employers outlined in the Employer Forum Outcomes and support coordination towards those commitments including facilitating greater direct engagement between employers and Labour Sending Units (LSUs). Develop recommendations to establish minimum standards to protect and improve worker earnings including review of recruitment-related costs and deductions. Develop recommendations to improve worker access to social services and social protection, and increase flexibility to change employers. Review options for improving accommodation with particular consideration of privacy. Develop options for a rating system for employers in Australia and New Zealand. Support inclusion of Unions in labour mobility forums and programmes. 2. Good Labour Mobility GovernancePLMAM 2023 recognised the importance of ensuring good labour mobility governance in the Pacific. Based on a reference paper presented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), participants recognised the importance of guidelines on good labour mobility governance to ensure that bilateral and national labour mobility arrangements promote good governance. 3. Pacific Labour Mobility OpportunitiesPLMAM recognised the developments in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes. It acknowledged the ‘next generation’ approach to the review of New Zealand’s labour mobility programmes with a focus on development, skills and training opportunities, circular opportunities, worker well-being, maximising benefits and mitigation of negative impacts on communities and collective regional responsibility. It also welcomed Australia’s AUD440 million investment to improve the PALM scheme to deliver on its key objectives of recognising the mutual interest of all participants, supporting the wellbeing of workers and upholding their workplace rights and protections, addressing workforce shortages in Australia when Australian workers are unavailable, and supporting the economic growth of participating countries through employment creation and skills development. The meeting also welcomed the new labour mobility opportunities to Cook Islands and Niue and acknowledged that the relatively higher minimum wage and skills development opportunities in these labour receiving countries exist as key incentives to facilitate intra-Pacific labour mobility. 4. Implementation Roadmap for Pacific Remittance Data CollectionThe PLMAM approved an Implementation Roadmap for Pacific Remittance Data Collection, emphasising the importance of addressing constraints to remittances data for Pacific economies. This work will be led by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) commencing from FY2024/25. The document can be accessed here. 5. Regional Labour Mobility InitiativesPLMAM 2023 noted the 2023 Pacific Forum Leaders Meeting directive for the development of Regional Labour Mobility Principles and encouraged the use of existing mechanisms and forums to undertake wide consultations to inform the development of the Principles. It also emphasised the importance of improved collaboration between the PPIU and the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) to ensure complementarity in their labour mobility initiatives and support to countries. The meeting also welcomed and approved the offer by the Australian government to host the 2024 PLMAM. The PLMAM Outcomes Document informs the labour mobility work programme of the PPIU and its partnerships with key labour mobility regional stakeholders. This linkage ensures that the outcomes from PLMAM are effectively implemented and that tangible outcomes are delivered to increase the development benefits of labour mobility in Pacific countries. The full 2023 PLMAM Outcomes Document can be accessed on the link below. Outcomes Document – 2023 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting -END- More articles like this one
Seventh Pacific Annual Labour Mobility Meeting Taking Regional Labour Mobility Cooperation to the Next Level
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – The Government of Vanuatu successfully hosted the seventh Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) from 20-24 November 2023, bringing together nearly 350 delegates from across the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Timor Leste. The PLMAM serves as a crucial platform for increasing regional labour mobility cooperation on labour mobility priorities in the region and is a key initiative under the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility. PLMAM 2023 has taken the regional forum to a new level of inclusivity, attracting more stakeholders than ever before, including workers, employers, trade unions, private sector, civil society, and government officials. This year’s meeting was convened under the theme “Harnessing the Development Benefits of Labour Mobility” reflecting the commitment of participating nations to explore avenues for maximising the positive impact of labour mobility on the economic and social development of the region. Ms. Murielle Meltenoven, Commissioner of Labour with Vanuatu’s Department of Labour and Employment Services, expressed enthusiasm about the outcomes of the PLMAM 2023, stating, “The seventh Pacific Annual Labour Mobility Meeting has been a success, fostering collaboration among nations to harness the development benefits of labour mobility. The discussions and initiatives unveiled during the meeting will contribute significantly to the prosperity and growth of our region.” The meeting addressed a wide range of issues, including measures to enhance the impact of return migration and reintegration in Pacific economies and societies, improving worker welfare and wellbeing, and improving the effectiveness of the Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM). The PLMAM 2023 also featured an Employer Forum where employers have made strong commitments to supporting the success of Pacific labour mobility schemes and its contribution to sustainable development in the Pacific. Mr. Roy Lagolago, Head of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and Labour Mobility Secretariat, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts: “Labour mobility is a powerful driver of economic development in the Pacific. The PLMAM serves as a vital forum to strengthen partnerships, share best practices, and explore innovative solutions. The commitment demonstrated by all participants reinforces the shared vision of advancing regional prosperity through responsible and sustainable labour mobility.” Mr. Lagolago also expressed his gratitude to the Approved Employers for their commitment to fostering labour mobility in the Pacific. “The inaugural Employer Forum during the PLMAM 2023 was a significant milestone, highlighting the collaborative efforts of our Approved Employers from Australia and New Zealand,” he said. Australia has been announced as the host for the next PLMAM in 2024. The PLMAM is funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, with facilitation provided by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit, in its role as the Labour Mobility Secretariat. -END- More articles like this one
Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting Officially Opens in Vanuatu
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – The Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) 2023 was officially opened today in Port Vila, Vanuatu by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai. PLMAM is the preeminent regional forum for labour mobility for the Pacific and is established under the PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM) to promote regional cooperation and a platform for inclusive dialogue to inform labour mobility policies. PLMAM 2023 takes place from 20-24 November 2023 at the Warwick Le-Lagon Resort in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai (seated, second from right) with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Matai Seremaiah (seated, far right), Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Rick Tchamako (seated, far left) with members of the diplomatic corps and PLMAM 2023 participants from Vanuatu and the region. The Meeting brings together nearly 350 participants including workers, employers, government officials, private sector, unions, civil society, academics and regional organisations, to discuss the theme of “harnessing the development benefits of labour mobility”. “The success of this event would be a testament to the strength of our partnerships and commitment to advancing labour mobility initiatives and addressing the issues collectively in the Pacific region,” said Prime Minister Hon. Salwai. A notable addition to this year’s PLMAM is the Pacific Regional Sustainable Reintegration Workshop, a pioneering initiative aimed at exploring and determining a regional approach to leveraging labour mobility to increase the development impact of return migration and reintegration. Reintegration is recongised as a relatively new concept for the Pacific and the workshop provides an opportunity for countries to better understand the dynamics of reintegration, learn from best practices within the Pacific region as well as other regions and determine a regional way forward that can work for the Pacific. Mr. Roy Lagolago (left), Head of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and Labour Mobility Secretariat shakes hands with the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai. “This year’s theme of ‘harnessing the development benefits of labour mobility’ underscores the positive impact that a well-managed labour mobility program can have on participating countries. As we celebrate this collaboration, it is also timely that we reflect on our collective commitments to ensure we maximise our benefits while minimising our challenges,” said Prime Minister Salwai. The Workshop is also supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Office for Migration (IOM) and the World Bank. The PLMAM 2023 will also feature speakers from all key stakeholder groups including workers, private sector, skills development providers, union and government ensuring the inclusivity of PLMAM to address regional labour mobility issues and enhance the development benefits of labour mobility for the Pacific. For more information on PLMAM 2023, please visit pacerplus.org/events/plmam2023. -END- More articles like this one
Vanuatu Prepares to Host Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – The Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) will be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu for the very first time on 20-24 November 2023. The annual meeting, which is provided under the PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility, is touted as the pre-eminent regional forum for labour mobility in the Pacific. It brings together all key stakeholders from across the region including government officials, workers, employers, private sector, union representatives, civil society, academics and regional organisations. PLMAM 2023 is expected to attract over 300 participants to discuss topics related to the theme of “harnessing the development benefits of labour mobility” in the Pacific. For many Pacific Island Countries, sustainable development is constrained by their smallness, remoteness from key markets, and vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. These are often coupled by the challenges of rapid population growth local formal economies being unable to absorb the high number of school leavers each year. Labour mobility exists as a critical employment creation strategy for many of our Pacific countries. Vanuatu is the top labour sending country for both the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes and has over 10,000 PALM workers in Australia and over 6,000 in New Zealand. The Vanuatu Commissioner for Labour, Ms. Murielle Meltenoven stated that Vanuatu’s participation in labour mobility schemes have generated significant economic benefits for Vanuatu particularly through the remittances and skills acquired by workers. “We see benefits in skills development especially around employability skills. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback for received from businesses around the conduct of workers including in communication, specifically customer service around servicing, and their ability to speak English. When you travel around the six provinces (in Vanuatu), you see the real positive impact within the very remote and rural communities around the new buildings, new businesses, so many banana boats which improve transportation helping many people residing in little islands to access crucial services,” Commissioner Meltenoven elaborated. But with these economic benefits, also comes negative development impacts particularly with the loss of skilled labour and increasing social problems such as broken homes and domestic violence. “The private sector is suffering because they’re losing their skilled workers, of which they have invested so much money, so much time to train up. For example, in the tourism and hospitality industry, I can see that the current services have dropped a lot, the quality is no longer there.” Vanuatu, which has been hit by three major tropical cyclones since the beginning of 2023 is also facing the impacts of the loss of able-bodied men in communities on community resilience to natural disasters. While the money from labour mobility have helped to build more cyclone-resistant housing, villages have less able-bodied men for post-cyclone recovery and rebuild. “Now you only see old people, women and kids, who are the most vulnerable during a period of natural disaster and in the recovery stage. They (villages) don’t have strong people to help for the recovery and to rebuild the community and the homes so for them the recovery will be very slow,” Commissioner Meltenoven explained. Commissioner Meltenoven believes that these negative impacts emphasise the importance of establishing conducive policies and support programmes in both labour sending and labour receiving countries. The Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting provides a critical platform for Pacific countries to not only discuss issues but to determine policy solutions to address these issues. For more details on PLMAM 2023, please click here. -END- More articles like this one
Enhancing the Positives and Mitigating the Negatives of Labour Mobility for Vanuatu
Vanuatu, like many other Pacific Island Countries, are confronted with the inherent development challenges of their smallness, remoteness from key markets, and vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. These development constraints are coupled by a rapidly growing population the the local formal economy cannot absorb. A high number of school leavers are consequently left unemployed each year resulting in added social and economic pressures on the local economy and society. Labour mobility has provided a critical employment creation strategy to generate growth dividends for Vanuatu. These positive development impacts are the key drivers for Vanuatu’s participation in labour mobility and has propagated its status as the top labour sending country for both the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes. According to the Vanuatu Commissioner for Labour, Ms. Murielle Meltenoven, Vanuatu now has over 10,000 PALM workers in Australia and over 6,000 in New Zealand. The economic benefits of labour mobility for Vanuatu are largely transferred through the remittances and skills acquired by workers. “We see benefits in skills development especially around employability skills. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from businesses around the conduct of workers including in communication, specifically customer service around servicing, and their ability to speak English,” Commissioner Meltenoven elaborated. She also highlighted the positive impacts on community development particularly in the rural areas including in upholding peace and order as unemployment is reduced. “When you travel around the six provinces (in Vanuatu), you see the real positive impact within the remote and rural communities around the new buildings, new businesses, so many banana boats which improve transportation helping many people residing in little islands to access crucial services,” Meltenoven stated. However, when it comes to building resilience against natural disasters, labour mobility has delivered mixed effects. In one hand, families and communities have more cyclone-resistant housing, but on the other, villages have less able-bodied men for post-cyclone recovery and rebuild. “Now you only see old people and kids, who are the most vulnerable during a period of natural disaster and in the recovery stage. They (villages) don’t have strong people to help for the recovery and to rebuild the community and the homes so for them the recovery will be very slow,” Commissioner Meltenoven explained. The loss of skilled employable people is also impacting local private sector development. “The private sector is suffering because they’re losing their skilled workers, of which they have invested so much money, so much time to train up. For example, in the tourism and hospitality industry, I can see that the current services has dropped a lot, the quality is no longer there,” Meltenoven stated. At the home front, she highlighted that social problems such as broken homes and domestic violence are rampant. Commissioner Meltenoven believes that these negative impacts emphasise the importance of conducive policies and support programmes in both labour sending and labour receiving countries. She highlighted that the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) has funded a review of their labour mobility policy which will govern their labour mobility programmes in Vanuatu. The World Bank is also conducting a study to assess the impacts on private sector and the ILO is assisting with regulatory reforms to address issues. Vanuatu is also engaged in discussions with Australia and New Zealand to reconsider visa conditions and the length of work contracts in an effort to address social issues at home. Vanuatu, as host country of the 2023 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) is also looking to optimise the opportunity to dialogue with key stakeholders on issues and to determine practical solutions. The PLMAM provides an opportunity for labour receiving and labour sending countries as well as other relevant organisations to come together to determine collective solutions that can maximise the positive impacts of labour mobility in the region whilst mitigating the negatives. More articles like this one
Pacific Labour Mobility: A Pillar of Growth for Australian and New Zealand Industries
Labour mobility is activated by unmet labour demand by employers in labour receiving countries. Employers therefore play a critical role in the success of Pacific labour mobility. Kerry McCarthy, a Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) employer and Gary Jones of Mr. Apple, a leading New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) employer, shared their perspectives. Kerry McCarthy and her family run a vegetable business on the Darling Downs, just under three hours west of Brisbane, Australia. They specialise in growing leafy greens and sell to both the Brisbane markets and big grocery chains in Australia. Mr. Apple is New Zealand’s largest integrated grower, packer, and exporter of apples. Both companies have relied on Pacific workers since the inception of the labour mobility schemes, 2007 for New Zealand and 2012 for Australia. Kerry began with two workers in 2012 and now recruits around 60 workers from Solomon Islands. Mr. Apple recruits up to 1,300 workers per season from across the Pacific. Mayor of Hastings District Council, To’asavili Sandra Hazlehurst (seated) who received a Samoan chiefly title from the Falealili District chiefs, along with Mr Apple staff and RSE workers from that district in May 2023. Despite the varying scale and nature of the two companies’ operations, labour shortages were equally a chronic constraint to the growth of their businesses. “We became involved in the Seasonal Worker Program due to necessity. At that time, we were an isolated farm and could not find reliable local labour to employ. We tried using labour hire companies from the Lockyer Valley but as we were on the end of the line in regard to location, we were always given last priority. If you hadn’t already heard, in regional Australia there is a major labour shortage,” said Kerry. Similarly in New Zealand, Gary explained, “In the 1990s in New Zealand, there was a lot of people that were in seasonal roles working for the freezing works, processing, fishing, fencing, and farming and there were lots of New Zealanders who were moving around and could do seasonal work. But our communities and our jobs are completely changed, and New Zealanders are now more focusing on permanent urban roles and have become less available.” For businesses like these, Pacific labour mobility schemes provide a critical labour solution to underpin growth. Kerry shared, “It (PALM) has given us the confidence to expand our business, knowing that we can plan ahead, as our workers are going to be there for us and are going to stay with us for the whole season.” For Mr. Apple, “RSE underpinned our ability to provide quality fruit to our consumer. It’s allowed us to provide far higher quality to our consumers and the market. It’s given New Zealand apples a brand of being the best apples in the world. And the Pacific people (workers) have been a pillar that’s made the whole industry successful.” But behind the business transactions lies another layer to the success of Pacific labour mobility – the robust partnership between employers and local Pacific communities. Gary elaborated on Mr. Apples’ partnerships in the Pacific stating that “we have a partnership with the governments and the peoples of the Pacific, which is very important to us. Those relations are quite critical and the opportunity for us to partner with the governments enables us to make sure that issues can be identified, and risks can be mitigated.” For smaller family businesses like Kerry’s, this partnership is very close to home. Since 2012, Kerry has mostly recruited from a remote rural village in the Solomon Islands which has no road access and no electricity. Through her recruitments, she and her family have built a close bond with the local community. “My family visits the village; to witness the changes firsthand is overwhelming. All of this positive change has come from our small business. It boggles the imagination as to what can be achieved on a broader scale,” Kerry stated. A few years ago, Kerry and her children’s local school in Australia organised a school trip to the village in Solomon Islands. About 20 Australian high school kids and teachers experienced village life and donated support to the local school. Kerry shared that the experience significantly impacted the kids, and some have gone on to university to study development with a focus on the development needs of the Pacific, all based on their experience in Solomon Islands. The strength of these partnerships has caused many employers to want to give back more. They see that their role extends beyond recruiting workers to being agents of change and development. Many employers, like Kerry, are interested in providing direct support to social services in Pacific countries. She stated that “I would keep lobbing the Australian Government and also personally try and get investment flowing into the Pacific, starting with the Solomons for early detection of preventable diseases for women, particularly breast cancer and uterine cancer, HPV vaccines. But it’s difficult to know where to go, who to trust so that you know the ‘boots are put on the ground’ in the right area. It would be good for employers who want to contribute, but don’t know how to do it to be guided towards reputable businesses that are already established on the ground in the Pacific.” Other employers, such as Mr. Apple, see the opportunity to support local private sectors to grow entrepreneurship and business development. Gary explained that many employers and communities in New Zealand are at the stage where they “would like to see how to partner communities where their workers have got some collective capital and who are saying where should we invest our money now. Can we create some commerce at scale that will help that whole community to deliver? A good example of this is Hastings District Council and Hawkes Bay Iwi Ngati Kahungunu signing a Sister District agreement with Falealili District in Samoa. Both these communities have benefited immensely from the RSE scheme. Now these communities are saying how can
Rethinking the Development “Wins” from Labour Mobility
The development benefits of labour mobility are not as straight forward as we would like. Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford dwelled on the complexities of the labour mobility-development nexus saying “we’re just assuming that labour mobility is always good, or labour mobility is always bad. Labour mobility is a process and an option that individuals can exercise at different times in their lives, depending on the access they’ve got to other places to live in, and it’s not just a simple linear direct relationship”. Labour mobility generally refers to the movement of labour to deliver a service in an overseas labour market. It can cover movement for very short periods or a much longer or even permanent term. Similarly, development is defined by scale, and it is crucial to recognise the factors which enhance or mitigate development at every level. Labour migration can generate “triple wins” for migrants, their countries of origin and the countries that receive them. Photo: PALM Scheme Professor Bedford elaborated that “if you’re looking at mobility generally, you’re looking at decisions that people make about moving in order to achieve some particular goals or improvements perhaps in their lives or to escape something which they don’t like in the context they’re currently living in. So, development in that context is very much development of the individual and the social unit that they’re involved in and just by simply saying that what’s good for the individual is necessarily good for the community or good for the nation is a little bit simplistic”. The labour mobility-development nexus has also been captured in the proposal that temporary labour migration can generate ‘triple wins’ for migrants, their countries of origin and the countries that receive them. While there is consensus amongst labour mobility researchers on labour mobility generating multiple wins, there is not much convergence on who wins. Professor Bedford indicated that the “challenge with the triple win is that there are two parties that are definite — the employer who wants labour, and the workers who provide that labour. They are the people who are engaged in the process of seasonal movement, and they have to feel that they are benefiting from the interaction.” The third win, however, is unclear. Some scholars are questioning whether the “win” for individual workers effectively translates to sustainable socio-economic development in their countries of origin. Professor Bedford elaborated on the issue saying “people who come back year after year, their family becomes completely dependent on money earned offshore, and that’s not to contribute to development back home, that’s just simply to cover consumption. It (increased consumption) increases imports into the country because all they’re really doing is adding to consumer demand for, well, a mix of local produce and often more and more imported produce, which doesn’t do great things for the balance of trade necessarily for the country”. At the same time, the win for the labour receiving countries should not be discounted. Professor Bedford said that “the receiving country is getting an enormous amount of revenue from this as well, and we don’t really quantify that. We don’t ever address that, and so I actually think the triple win concept needs some quite careful rethinking”. The development benefits of labour mobility are also contingent on the type of labour mobility. Professor Bedford highlighted the critical importance of stakeholders understanding the contrasting impacts of short-term and long-term labour mobility programmes. “The biggest negative is taking away the skilled labour that the public and private sectors in the island countries need and have spent a lot of money training,” Professor Bedford stated. He further clarified that in the case of short-term labour mobility “you should be selecting people in villages who have few opportunities to earn a lot of money at home because their skills are very much the skills of agriculture and that’s where they will make their money, their skills. They’re people that work the land, and you’re going to bring them in to continue to work the land”. Long-term labour mobility can have a different type of impact and these contrasts should be considered in the design of labour mobility and development policies and strategies. The Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) provides a unique forum for rethinking of the different “wins” from labour mobility to inform policy formulation in the Pacific. Professor Bedford recognised the significance of PLMAM stating that it provides the “opportunity to share information, to acknowledge that we (countries) are in competition, but…we’re going to have to cooperate andcollaborate and work out standards and work out bottom lines, what we’re prepared to accept and what we’re not prepared to accept and not to undercut each other and not to have a race to the bottom”. With the theme of “harnessing the development benefits of labour mobility”, PLMAM 2023 seeks to bring together all relevant stakeholders to determine regional solutions that can enhance the wins for all those involved. More articles like this one