September 30, 2022
Green wants pathway to residency in RSE scheme
The Greens Party spokesperson for Pacific people is concerned the Government isn’t moving fast enough on its promised review of the registered employer scheme.
The Government has announced it will increase the number of RSE places by 3000, bringing the total of workers available for orchards and vineyards to 19,000.
Mr Tuiono says that’s irresponsible without first looking into revelations of worker exploitation, including a recent case in the Bay of Plenty where workers were put up seven to a room.
“Where’s the respect and dignity for the workers. We know there are massive problems and that review needs to happen now and we need to replace it with something that recognises those whakapapa connections we have as tangata whenua with people out in the moana, with tangata moana, and also to embed in, to make sure we treat people with dignity and respect, give them pathways to residency,” he says.
Mr Tuiono says rules locking RSE workers to a single employer also need to be changed.