Samoa seasonal worker

TV1Samoa reports Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour which handles all seasonal worker matters, confirmed that details are still being finalised.

There has been no official comment from the Australian government on the death of the worker at the end of last week.

She was one of hundreds who travelled to Australia early this year on the RSE scheme.

Pulotu Lyndon Chu Ling, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, (MCIL) confirmed that the deceased had departed Samoa last month for seasonal employment in Australia.

Savali newspaper reports Pulotu reassured that the Ministry has since taken measures through Samoa’s diplomatic channels to ensure that the woman’s full benefits and entitlements mandated by her employment contract which includes insurance and wages are processed for the grieving family.

The accident happened on Monday on the highway between Napier and Taupō, which police have described as one of the country's most lethal.

A convoy of three vans of seasonal workers from Hastings were travelling to Taupō for a holiday, but tragedy struck - at a turnoff to the Tarawera cafe, a popular stop along the road, one of the vans collided with a truck.

Tino Tagiilima was a passenger in the van and died at the scene.

His aunt Lofa Tuimaualuga told RNZ her brother - Tino's father who lives in Australia - called her distraught yesterday afternoon.