14 August

“ACT welcomes changes to the RSE scheme that mean Kiwi growers will find it easier to hire the help they need in harvest season,” says ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar, while reiterating ACT’s view that the cap on RSE workers should be scrapped.

“When an orchard or vineyard enjoys a bumper crop, the last thing they need is a labour shortage that leaves fruit rotting on the ground. Seasonal workers from overseas can fill short-term roles that locals looking for more stable work just won’t do.

“Lifting the cap on RSE workers fulfils an ACT coalition commitment and will boost the productive potential of our growers over the coming season. However, we campaigned on removing the cap entirely, and hope that will be considered in future. The RSE scheme is different to other kinds of migration because it is strictly temporary, and businesses apply for workers based on how many they actually need. We shouldn’t kneecap them with an arbitrary limit.

“Growers have told ACT that one rule causing major frustration was the requirement for employers to pay RSE workers for 30 hours a week, every week. That just didn’t reflect the reality of work on an orchard, where a single turn of the weather or a disruption in supply chains can mean some weeks are quiet, while others require long hours. Now the work requirement is a more flexible average of 30 hours – a victory for common sense.”

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