If you are a grower or horticultural enterprise having trouble finding reliable labour, you may be able to access Pacific seasonal workers. There are two ways to participate:
Pacific seasonal workers are reliable and returning workers who are willing and able to come back in following seasons. Pacific seasonal workers can perform a variety of tasks, such as picking, pruning, thinning, packing, and planting.
Growers and horticultural enterprises who participate in the Pilot can benefit from an increasingly experienced and stable workforce and lower costs due to reduced turnover, training and administration.
Pacific seasonal workers have assisted many horticultural enterprises with their seasonal labour needs, including citrus, stonefruit, capsicum, fig, almond, asparagus and tomato producers.
To learn about the experiences of horticultural enterprises involved in the Pilot, you can visit Meet A Grower, or read about grower experiences with the Pilot and Pacific seasonal workers below:
If you want to learn more about Pacific seasonal workers:
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How Do I Get Access To Pacific Seasonal Workers?
What Are The Responsibilities of Growers and Horticultural Enterprises?
- Talking with an Approved Employer about seasonal labour needs and desired worker characteristics.
- Checking for suitable local labour - an Approved Employer will assist you with this.
- Agreeing with an Approved Employer on payment arrangements and reporting hours of work or bins picked etc.
Growers and Horticultural Enterprises Are Not Responsible For:
- Providing accommodation for Pacific seasonal workers.
- Approved Employers are responsible for providing accommodation to Pacific seasonal workers.
- Organising and paying for international and domestic travel fees for Pacific seasonal workers.
- Approved Employers are responsible for organising and paying for international and domestic travel fees.
- Approved Employers will continue to pay the full cost of the workers’ international airfares to and from Australia upfront, and later recoup a percentage of that cost from the worker.
- Previously, Approved Employers contributed 50% of the international return trip cost from Pacific seasonal workers, but now they contribute:
- 35% of each i-Kiribati workers’ airfare
- 50% of each Tongan workers’ airfare
- 55% of each Papua New Guinean workers’ airfare
- 80% of each ni-Vanuatu workers’ airfare.
- Approved Employers are responsible for organising and paying for international and domestic transfer costs and can reclaim up to $100 for this from Pacific seasonal workers. Arranging or providing health insurance, transport and pastoral care for Pacific seasonal workers.
- Approved Employers are responsible for ensuring Pacific seasonal workers have health insurance, transport to and from work, and for providing pastoral care for Pacific seasonal workers.
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