Pacific

Vanuatu warns against seasonal work charges

14:10 pm on 16 October 2012

Vanuatu's department of labour has warned agents not to charge workers interested in seasonal work schemes.

The department has suspended an agent of the recently-launched Australian seasonal workers scheme, after it was discovered he was charging workers between 10 and 100 US dollars.

A senior labour officer, Tarisu Kailes, says the agent has been given 60 days to repay the money.

"We have warned the agents not to do the same thing. We've done several articles in the newspaper, warning others not to charge any workers. Because the scheme is to help the workers to get employment, so it [would] not be fair for the agents to charge the workers here."

Tarisu Kailes says he believes the agent is an isolated case.