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| 1 |
ID:
098457
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2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In 2008 the Australian government announced a new labour mobility scheme for Pacific workers, with the objectives of meeting seasonal demand for low-skilled labour in the horticulture industry and promoting economic development in Pacific Island countries. Modelled on New Zealand's Recognized Seasonal Employer scheme, it is a significant departure from Australia's long-standing preference for permanent migration that is non-discriminatory with respect to the country of origin. Any temporary migration program that draws a workforce from developing countries has the potential to exploit vulnerable foreign workers, but if Australia's pilot program is to be a success in the long term, it is imperative that seasonal workers from the Pacific are not exposed to that danger. This article examines the many layers of regulation that have been introduced to protect Pacific workers from exploitation, including bilateral intergovernmental agreements, supervision by government departments and use of external advisory bodies. In addition, Australia's regulatory framework governing workplace relations imposes a range of worker protections through equality laws, occupational health and safety principles, dispute settlement procedures and trade union involvement. To date, the Australian scheme has provided very limited opportunities for Pacific workers. This raises concerns about the long-term viability of this highly regulated scheme and the capacity to move beyond a pilot program to provide sustained opportunities for both Pacific workers and the horticulture industry.
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| 2 |
ID:
092974
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| Publication |
2009.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article examines international migration in the Pacific and argues that there should be still greater opportunities for the people of Pacific countries to migrate between their home states and the developed states of the Pacific Rim. The case for borders that are more permeable to human migration is based in part on the common Pacific predicament of poor resource endowments, rapidly growing populations, depletion and degradation of existing resources, and threats posed by anthropogenic climate change. Coupled with this is a history of colonisation that has left some Pacific peoples with liberal access to economic opportunities in developed states by virtue of their citizenship or preferential visa status, while others have no such opportunities. Both New Zealand and the United States have been reasonably generous in facilitating migration from Polynesia and Micronesia. It is Australia that stands out as the Pacific neighbour with the greatest capacity to develop new migration streams. The seasonal worker scheme announced by the Australian Government in August 2008 takes a cautious but valuable step along this path, yet there is scope for further expanding Pacific access by broadening the geographical, temporal and material scope of existing migration arrangements.
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