9 August 2022

The Green Party and the Council of Trade Unions have called for changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme after an investigation revealed that Pacific workers are facing human rights violations, economic exploitation and substandard living conditions when working in New Zealand.

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“The RSE scheme has been ripe for exploitation. The fact that this level of abuse can go on unnoticed to the people responsible for upholding minimum employment standards – the Labour Inspectorate and MBIE – would suggest they don’t even care,” said the Green Party’s spokesperson for Pacific Peoples, Teanau Tuiono.

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“Any abuse of workers employed under the RSE scheme is completely unacceptable and reflects badly on New Zealand’s reputation as a place to work,” said Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff.

“We need to do more to ensure workers who come to our country in good faith to support their families are treated fairly.”

The RSE scheme allows for 16,000 workers to come from the Pacific islands to New Zealand each year to work within the horticulture industry.