“Omankukar tone ruan gerwuten” (Working together for a better life): RSE

nine years on.Dr Rochelle-lee Bailey

2007 the year of risk

RSE Workers• Had never been in an aeroplane

before.• Never left their islands or countries

or had paid employment.• Only had stories of historical

labour trade• Some had previously worked in

Australia illegally. Less than positive experiences, probably associated with their illegal status.

• Financial loans• Absence from home.

RSE Employers• Enormous financial risk for

employers. Borrowing millions of dollars.

• Surveillance of the scheme from government, media, academics, unions, communities (Domestic and international attention)

• Employing and unknown workforce.

• Pastoral care obligations.• Risks contributed to

paternalistic attitudes.

Paternalism to Partnership

• “If they don’t like it or complain they can [go home], plenty more are lined up wanting to come” (2007)

• “Its more than just an employment thing” (2010)

Cross cultural encounters

• Cross-cultural exchanges have given employers, workers and community members involved in the scheme an understanding of each other’s significant cultural, economic and social needs.

Impacts for families

• Increased access to education.

• Investing money and expertise in business ventures.

• Ability to contribute to or participate in customary and community needs.

Benefits and opportunities

Mother gets a new home New bakery

Development projects

• Building and relocating health centres.

• Building kindergartens, schools, churches and community halls.

• Micro credit scheme• Scholarships for

education

Development projects contin…

• Tourism centre• Market house• Improved infrastructure of

community domains e.g., wells, piping for water, re-roofing of churches, council buildings.

• Donating hospital beds and supplies, water pumps, solar projects, providing assistance for various development projects, etc

Concerns

• ‘New Zealand workers are giving different ideas to the boys… we have different ideas for the boys. You know the boys have little understanding but when you [New Zealand people] start to put in something that we have decided then you [New Zealand people] start to jeopardise what we [the council and community] have decided. (Community leader 2011)

• Disconnection with family• Relationship break-ups.• Conflict through jealousy and

distrust.

Workers’ are part of a broader picture

• “Its not my money” – earnings are re-circulated through communities

• The ownership and governance of money is reflected in contested spaces through negotiations and expectations.

• Obligations and tensions.• There are growing disparities

between those who participate and those who don’t.

• Opportunities to participate is problematic and recruitment practices need to be re-evaluated to target the pro-poor objectives. “This is not what we had planned. It should be shared” (Chief X, 2012)

Impacts in New Zealand communities

• Improved productivity in the horticulture and viticulture sectors.

• Increased investment into businesses.

• New employment opportunities for New Zealanders.

• Millions of dollars spent in New Zealand communities.

Culture of Migration

• 22 ni-Vanuatu 2007- 15 still participating- 3 blacklisted

- 2 did not enjoy New Zealand’s climate

- 1 Medical condition

- 1 Deceased.

• Children of participants are participating in RSE and SWP

• Schemes are promoted at community meetings as a way of “working together for a better life”.

• “It gives us something to aim for after school” (Truck driver, Baiap 2012)

Long term participation

• Long term participation is an advantage for growers, many of whom have provided incentives for team leaders to return in successive seasons. One example an employer paid for a leaders spouse and three children to be in New Zealand for several weeks.

• Having the same workers annually reduces training costs.

• Nonetheless, having workers return for up to in this case 9 years does have consequences that must be addressed.

Facilitating a minimum service

• Initially Pacific Island leaders were hoping to send workers on a rotational basis.

• Having workers participate for successive seasons is a benefit for employers to be involved in labour schemes.

• First season most expensive for Pacific workers. Most have found that they will invest in a small business after the 2nd and 3rd season.

• Propose a cap on seasons, 5-7 years?

Responses to natural disasters

• Remittances can contribute to short, mid and long term rebuilding and development capabilities.

• Responses from employers and host communities.

• Demand for seasonal positions increased.

Snapshot of contributions to:• Tsunami in Samoa

2009• Solomon Island

Floods• Cyclone Pam (other

affected regions: Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu)

Conclusions

• The RSE scheme has benefited the livelihoods of seasonal workers by enabling continued school education, housing and infrastructure projects, new business opportunities and an additional source of income to meet kastom exchange obligations embedded in culturally significant reciprocal relationships. There are competing interests in the ownership and distribution of workers’ wages and how these are distributed. However, using the same workers for long lengths of time is causing disparities in opportunities and income distribution. Nonetheless the reasons that workers continue to participate is because of the ongoing costs that motivated them to migrate in the first instance.

Sipa mon (Thank you)