Pacific Seasonal Workers Labour Mobility Scheme

Transcription

1 2017/SOM1/HRDWG/WKSP/007 Pacific Seasonal Workers Labour Mobility Scheme Submitted by: Papua New Guinea Workshop on the Development of an APEC Labour Mobility Framework Nha Trang, Viet Nam February 2017

2 APEC LABOUR MOBILITY WORKSHOP February 2017 Nha Trang, Vietnam Pacific Seasonal Workers Labour Mobility Scheme Presentation by Ms. Mary Morola, Secretary for Department of Labour & Industrial Relations PNG Government PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. Brief Background 2. Papua New Guinea s participation and experiences in the Pacific Seasonal Work Schemes Australia - Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) Scheme New Zealand -Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme 3. Institutional Coordination System of Papua New Guinea (PNG), within Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations 4. Lessons Learnt 5. Challenges 6. Some Thoughts on Way forward 1

3 PACIFIC SEASONAL WORKERS LABOUR MOBILITY SCHEME SCHEME: PACIFIC WORKERS TO WORK ON FARMS DURING HARVEST SEASONS IN FRUIT PICKING AND OTHER FARM WORK FOR APPROVED AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS UNDER BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH SENDING COUNTRIES PACIFIC COUNTRIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING: SAMOA, TONGA, VANUATU, SOLOMON ISLANDS, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, FIJI AND DILI FOR PNG, SIX YEARS AGO JOINED THE SCHEME BRIEF BACKGROUND - PNG S PARTICIPATION IN THE PACIFIC SEASONAL WORK PROGRAM, Australia s Seasonal Worker Program Cap 2010 PNG signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia to participate in Australia s Seasonal Workers Program under Pilot Scheme under a Pilot Scheme and enter into an Agreement in mid , three (3) Agreement, under review as Labour Mobility Assessment program (LMAP) objective to increase the number of PNG workers and to expand and trial out to include other industries, aquaculture, livestock a total of 286 Visas Granted to PNG workers to work in Australia. 2

4 NEW ZEALAND RECOGNISED SEASONAL EMPLOYERS SCHEME (RSE) IAU An Interagency Agency Understanding (IAU) between NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and PNG Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations (MLIR) under the Strengthening Pacific Partnership Program (SPP). - Capacity building, in strengthening labour sending system and processes of coordination, database on RSE workers and website development completed for testing. - Workers sent under RSE to NZ todate: 337 workers. - Work in Progress: Review of the IAU, under the SPP program GENERALLy Covered under the Memorandum of Agreement, other than sending and receiving country responsibilities in managing the relationship these arrangement would be: Types of Visas, and medical requirements Standard Terms and conditions of work Pastoral Care Employers and worker responsibilities in remittances 3

5 PURPOSE / INTEND OF THE PACIFIC SEASONAL WORKERS SCHEMES To open up employment opportunities to Pacific workers work in the Horticulture and Viticulture industries, in fruit picking in Australia and New Zealand. Unemployment challenges and less employment opportunities Increase in annual school leavers, 40,000 to 50,000 going into the Labour market. Narrow employment base, as was focused in the Formal sector and unregulated informal sector. PNG has traditionally been a labour receiving country, but this scheme became a Labour sending country under this scheme INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION SYSTEM OF PNG, WITHIN MINISTRY OF LABOR & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Under Pilot Phase Initial Stage: Program Authority: Inter-Agencies Task Force Group [ DFA,DLIR, Planning, DAL, DoComDev], Governance and Approval [ TOR, set rules and criteria, Screening Committee on application, for Work Ready Pool] - PNG Departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA) & Department of Labour & Industrial Relations (DLIR) as cojoint implementers of PNG seasonal work program [ servicing ITFG] Under Signed MoU in 2012 Operations : Coordination and Administration: DLIR Labour sending systems and processes established; Receiving, screening and processing applications for Visa, Medicals, Placements Conducting pre-departure sessions and placements Reintegration for returning workers and tracer [ DLIR, DoComDev] Work Ready Pool [1,500 current figure] DLIR Sending /Farmer direct Recruitments No involvement of Employment Agents 4

6 Cont Australia SWP Map of Australia PNG Workers placements in Australian States from 2010 Present. Queensland New South Wales - 3 Tasmania - 52 Victoria - 20 PNG Seasonal Workers currently working: 19 That is from PNG Seasonal Workers ready to be sent: 33 From February 2017 April 2017: Work ready pool: 1,500 Cont New Zealand RSE Map of New Zealand PNG Workers placements in New Zealand Regions from Present Bay of Plenty - 54 Hawkes Bay Greytown, Wairarapa - 37 Marlborough - 29 PNG Seasonal Workers currently working: 76 That is from PNG Seasonal Workers ready to be sent: 48 From February 2017 May

7 LESSONS LEARNT Difficulties of obtaining visa and medical clearance [ stringent medical requirements] Choice of medical services by receiving countries, in sending countries Delayed sending of workers, systems and processing difficulties. The need for regular updates to Work-Ready Pool workers to employers needs. Other Pacific Island countries first mover advantage over others Employer preference of experienced workers (returnees request in increase) forfeiting intended purpose for increased workers. Remittances systems to be properly addressed in sending countries. CHALLENGES Placing more PNG workers on the schemes, special focus on Australian Seasonal Program workers To address predeparture issues, on visas and medicals Improving Marketing and promoting of PNG seasonal workers to employers both in Australia and New Zealand Competing for limited offer available among other Pacific Island countries Preference for experienced workers contributing to high returnees (1,500 in WIP) PNG s geographical difficulties of getting workers from rural PNG, travel, communications, high costs of travels. How to best reintegrate returning seasonal workers into their societies/communities and for them to properly utilize their remittances in a profitable and sustainable way 6

8 SOME THOUGHTS ON WAY FORWARD Give each participating country consideration on quota for placements rather competing within the CAP of 9,000 Expansion to other relevant and viable industry sectors. Consistency in addressing issues and concerns under bilateral arrangements. Strengthening collaboration between sending countries, AAEs, RSEs[ in case of Australia and NZ] and Ministries responsible in the receiving countries. Support of Governments, including sub-national levels, Local levels. Policies Intentions: Labour Mobility Policies and laws must be put in place by sending countries, and to harmonize and reciprocity arrangements is encouraged. A minimum standard to guide movement of workers, to be considered by International Office of Immigration. 7