Transcript
MAURICE DAVIS: The things that cause us concern. is the exploitation, when actually without them (Pacific RSE workers) these orchards wouldn't operate. So I think it's a little bit rich for the growers or the labour hire companies - and dependent on what they are because sometimes the growers ghost themselves with a consortium with a labour hire company but it's actually them. I just don't think it's fair that they (Pacific RSE workers) come in and basically for the first six week, even more, they're paying debt off.
JOHNNY BLADES: And when you say exploitation, you're mainly meaning the deductions, or are there other things?
MD: Yeah, pastoral care. You know like you've got to pay back the bond on a place, and then some of those places were owned by the growers. Oh you've got to pay for your airfare to the job. And what I would say though is that the RSE branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is very effective and they hold employers to a high standard if they get caught out.
JB: The Ministry signs off on the deduction sheets for all these workers?
MD: That's my understanding. And they normally challenge if they see something, like an anomaly about rent, about how much it is. But at the end of the day you should not come to this country to work and be in debt. Especially when that industry, it's a privilege to have the workers. The workers are privileged to be there, but I think the employer has the biggest privilege out of them all. I'm saying to the government, we are dealing with nine countries that are signed up to the RSE; it's a unique situation, we should have that standard there, across the board. The employers can all go, 'this is the days of the award'. Well, you need standards because there's been exploitation and it's been proven.
JB: Do you have many of the RSE workers signed up with Amalgamated?
MD: Where we are effective, we have membership, and we have reasonable agreements with them. But we're still battling the other ones, and they try like hell to... to be be honest nobody wants us to come through the door.
JB: You get resistance from contractors and, I suppose, from agents back in the countries?
MD: Yeah, look, we've very clear that they (contractors) use the chiefs system to work against us. You know, because of the fear and intimidation, because of the hierarchical structure. These are some of the things that we're talking about with the ministers of the respective countries. But I've explained that the employer - once he finds out who is the chief - he gets paid a bit more. So if you want to effect change, you just go to the chief and say we don't want them here - ie us. So the chief goes and tells the workers, and they respect that hierarchical system. So they're not going to go against it. The Pacific Island nations, see, they're hesitant of unions because of the connotations of organised labour. And I think even though it's not said, I think the fear is that maybe that unionisation might come back from New Zealand into their culture. I got that impression from the first meeting. But equally they are concerned about the exploitation of their workers.
