Samoa to temporarily halt sending more seasonal workers overseas

Samoa will temporarily stop sending more seasonal workers to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the month.

TV1Samoa reports the last seasonal worker flight to New Zealand will be this Sunday, and the final flight to Australia will be at the end of the month.

Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labour, Lemalu Nele Masina, said this is a temporary measure while the Ministry delves into the problems happening amongst some of the workers.

She said the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Labour, Leatinu'u Wayne So'oialo had told Parliament about the government's plan to look at dealing with the problem.

Local media reports problems range from disorderly behavior caused by excessive drinking to extramarital affairs and some walking off their contracts to seek employment elsewhere.

Lemalu said it is likely that the scheme for seasonal workers in Australia and New Zealand would resume in October 2022.

Meanwhile, more than 200 seasonal workers in both countries are being returned to Samoa for breaching contract conditions.

 

Photo file RNZ  Caption: Pacific seasonal workers in New Zealand