Contractors Welcome Raids
The recent raids netting a significant number of illegal workers in the viticulture and horticulture industries has been
welcomed by the Rural Contractors Federation as a long awaited compliance enforcement for the contracting industry.
RACF Executive Director Roger Parton said that the problem of illegal workers was an ongoing major issue for the
industry and the recent enforcement action was a very good sign that the matter was at last being addressed.
“We were critical of the Governments efforts in this area and were concerned that the recently announced Pacific
Seasonal Work Scheme would not work because of lack of compliance enforcement. These recent raids are welcome proof that
the Government is being serious on this issue. And it bodes well for the success of the scheme.”
Mr Parton said that contractors in the viticulture industry were continuously being undercut by other contractors who
were either using illegal labour and/or not meeting the statuitory requirements regarding minimum pay rates, PAYE, ACC
and the like.
“The contractor who meets the legal requirements is having great difficulty in competing with those who do not play by
the rules. Our concern has been that the new seasonal work scheme would not operate properly unless all play by the same
rules. The success of the scheme now looks far more promising and should be of great benefit to the industry and the
contractors”, Mr Parton said
ENDS