By Rachael Nath
The ILO held a seminar in Port Vila to elaborate the first ever employment policy for Vanuatu Photo: RNZ Pacific/Hilaire Bule
The Vanuatu Government has begun developing a national employment policy to address a potential drain of skilled labour as New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme expands its scope.
The expanded scheme will recruit an extra 3000 seasonal workers to relieve a labour shortage in New Zealand's horticultural sector. This brings the total number of RSE workers to 19,000, in increase of 19 per cent from the previous year.
More than 5,000 in Vanuatu currently take part in the seasonal work scheme in New Zealand.
Photo: RNZ Pacific/Hilaire Bule
Labour Commissioner Murielle Meltenoven welcomed the expanded scheme but warned that it may exacerbate a labour crisis that may be looming.
"There are many complaints already in the domestic labour market with the brain drain of our workers to the labour mobility program. So, through the Commission, with the technical support from the ILO, we are working to establish our first national employment policy to address those gaps in the employment sector within our domestic market."
She said the new policy will assist in finding a sustainable solution for both countries.
"It is envisioned and anticipated that the national employment policy will address the current gap in identifying skilled labour in Vanuatu and also provide a balance of how many skilled workers are going to be part of the program (RSE) and how many workers are going to stay back in our domestic market to contribute in Vanuatu."
Rachael Nath compiled this report
Kinan Albahanasi Raj Bimlech, consultant for the International Labour Organisation ILO, said that the policy will provide a consolidated and comprehensive guideline across Vanuatu's employment sectors.
"We want to be able to develop a coherent framework for employment as well as establish a platform for coordination and collaboration across line ministries, social partners, employers and workers organisations in Vanuatu."
Ni-Vanuatu RSE workers Photo: RNZ / Sam Olley
The tourism industry, across the Pacific region, is also likely to be impacted by an expanded RSE.
South Pacific Tourism Organisation's Chief Executive, Chris Crocker, suggests that the skill drain and labour shortage situations may be temporary.
New Zealand and Australia, which are key destinations for Pacific workers, can help alleviate these problems by upskilling those workers: skills they will bring back to their home nations.
"The challenge we are facing is training as it costs money. So I think if Australia and New Zealand, who are doing these RSE Scheme, consider probably helping our private sector by subsidising or supporting the cost of training for new people into these vacant positions that are happening in the Pacific and also train those who have been away from the sector into these positions," he said.
While welcoming the RSE Scheme expansion, Chris Crocker adds a collaborative approach by all parties is needed for a win-win solution.
"Tourism is very seasonal in the Pacific as we have the high and low seasons. So maybe it could be that taking our labour from the Pacific would be in the low season because there wouldn't be many jobs in the Pacific."