Tuilaepa asks NZ Unions to consider RSE expansion

Transcript

The Prime Minister of Samoa is calling on New Zealand unions to consider the benefits of expanding New Zealand's RSE scheme to areas outside of horticulture.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has reiterated his call for an extension of New Zealand's RSE scheme to areas such as construction, while speaking at the Pip Fruit Industry conference in Wellington today.

Tuilaepa says Samoa is keen to supply tradesmen to help New Zealand with its large large scale infrastructure projects such as the Christchurch rebuild.

He told Jemma Brackebush that says while he respects the position taken by unions in the country he believes Pacific Islanders can help fill labour gaps in the industry.

TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELEGAOI: We have been raising that issue with the government of New Zealand in connection with the reconstruction of Christchurch following the earthquake, and there is quite a large number of tradesmen in Samoa in carpentry, building, welding, electricity, and there will be all relevant experience, very relevant, to the reconstruction efforts by the government. Of course I do realise the New Zealand first policy of getting a lot of your unemployed to fill up some of these jobs that are available, but what we are interested in in those areas are that there may be a need for some extra hands from Samoa or the other Pacific islands to come in on the same terms as the RSE scheme.

JEMMA BRACKEBUSH: We have a body, the Council of Trade Unions, well there's increasing opposition about the RSE scheme. Is that a concern for you?

TSM: Well I can understand their concern and I appreciate their concerns because it's evident that they are also passionate about providing jobs for the unemployed. What happens is that we are in the real world and in the real world, in New Zealand, where the dole [benefit] is paid out for the unemployed, the kind of jobs that are provided by the RSE scheme is very physical and it is always possible that there will be unemployed who do not want to do this kind of work because it involves too much effort and the alternative of just sitting at home and receiving the home is too attractive. So I am sympathetic with the concerns of the union, but at the same time we are in the real world and what they think about as being the ideal does not always happen.

JB: What is the economic impact for Samoa of the scheme? What are you seeing, what is happening in Samoa?

TSM: Oh huge. Aside from the positive impact from foreign exchange earning through the remittances, the additional income for these people who will never have earned such a high earning, the impact is great. A lot of these people that went back with money were able to build new homes, improve their old fales, some bought taxis and operate a business, others have improved the education of their children, there have been community projects that have been built from monies contributed by those who came, and others have been able to buy the usual possessions of modern-day living. In other words, those that come from Samoa come here with specific goals in mind on what to spend their hard earnings on. I have to commend the New Zealand government and the New Zealand Employers Association for the continuity of this scheme, I know the government is trying its best to fix a kind of balance to ensure that more and more people are brought in from the islands to man the farmers needs for labour and at the same time increase the opportunities for the unemployed in New Zealand, so I have to commend the New Zealand employers' efforts in continuing this very important scheme for the Pacific Islands and we view it as leaders of the labour supply countries as one of the great assistance that the government of New Zealand provides for the economic development of our small economies.