Hon Jim Anderton
Minister of Agriculture
Hon David Cunliffe
Minister of Immigration

31 July 2007

Making seasonal labour work

The Government is committed to making the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) policy work for horticultural and viticultural employers, Immigration Minister David Cunliffe and Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said today.

Mr Cunliffe said that, as employers have been told all along, the RSE policy will form the backbone of their labour supply going forward. He said he was pleased by the support and uptake of the policy by employers so far -– with 3250 seasonal workers reserved under the RSE policy in the three months since it was launched.

"However, I have been listening carefully to feedback from the industries about their labour requirements during the transition period to the RSE policy. In order for this policy to be a long-term, sustainable solution, some employers may need a little extra assistance to get on-board.

"Department of Labour and Ministry of Social Development officials are developing options for assisting employers to make the move to RSE.

"This assistance would be developed with the engagement and support of industry leaders.''

Mr Cunliffe said any assistance would complement other measures already in place for employers to plug short-term labour gaps during the transition phase – such as hiring working holiday-makers backpacking through New Zealand; and allowing visitors to New Zealand to vary the conditions of their permits in order to work for short periods to meet peak labour shortages.

Mr Anderton said the horticulture and viticulture industries are of huge importance to New Zealand – and guaranteeing a labour supply is a top priority for the Government.

"Successfully managing this seasonal demand is a challenge, partly because more New Zealanders are in full time work and are not available for seasonal labour. For the foreseeable future, the seasonal work force will draw on both New Zealanders and temporary migrants.

"The RSE policy reflects the aims of the Seasonal Labour Strategy for the Horticulture and Viticulture Industries – to achieve a sustainable labour supply in these industries.

"The move to provide extra assistance to some employers reflects the Government's commitment to providing all possible help to employers to manage their businesses to maximum advantage for the economy," Mr Anderton said.

ENDS

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