Government lifts restraints on recruiting overseas seasonal workers amid shortage complaints

Documents obtained under the OIA show examples of inappropriate and criminal behaviour by people on the seasonal worker scheme.

The number of seasonal workers from eligible Pacific countries is set to increase to provide support for New Zealand growers. 

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the allocation for the recognised seasonal employer scheme would increase by 3150 over two years, to 16,000 by 2020/2021. 

Today's announcement comes as farmers have warned of rotting crops and increased supermarket prices this season due to a worker shortage.

The recognised seasonal employer scheme allows horticulture and viticulture employers to recruit overseas workers for seasonal work when there are shortages of New Zealand workers. 

One of the nation’s biggest growers fears she’ll have to close due to overseas pickers allocation.

It would increase by 1550 to 14,400 for 2019/20.

It currently sits at 12,850 per year. 

Mr Lees-Galloway said the RSE workforce makes up about 20 per cent of the horticulture and viticulture workforce. 

Horticulture New Zealand's Mike Chapman welcomed the certainty around worker numbers, but more RSE workers were needed to support the large growth in horticulture.

"This growth is why we asked the Government for an even greater increase in RSE worker numbers, to support our growth and make up for the shortage of available New Zealanders workers, particularly during peak times like harvesting and pruning."

Mr Lees-Galloway said the sector were calling for 3000 additional workers, but the industry needed to look at being more "flexible" to attract more New Zealand workers through making working arrangements more accessible and looking at wages and conditions.

"The cap increase set for 2020/21 is conditional on the industry proving it's making the horticulture and viticulture sectors easier and more attractive for Kiwi workers to work in," Mr Lees-Galloway said. 

"They’ll also have to up their game and make sure there is more accommodation built for their workers."

He said due to the housing crisis, restrictions would be placed on the use of residential rental housing by employers to accommodate the workers, meaning some areas with no housing pressure would be exempt from the restriction. 

Mr Lees-Galloway said a "significant body of work was going on to stamp out exploitation".

"That is one of the challenges that we’ve set down to the sectors that they do more to stamp out exploitation in their supply chains.

The prospect of price hikes and fruit being left to rot still hangs over the summer season.

The numbers, via Immigration NZ:

- 16,000 by 2020
- 14,400 in 2019
- 12,850 in 2018
- 11,100 in 2017
- 10,500 in 2016
- 9,500 in 2015
- 9,000 in 2014
- 8,000 in 2009

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