Samoan seasonal workers employed under Australia and New Zealand’s seasonal worker schemes have raised concerns over unexplained deductions from their accommodation costs, according to Samoa First Union Director Seveaoga Saina Tomi Fetalaiga.
Fetalaiga said some cases only came to light after workers showed their payslips to the union.
The concerns were raised during a Pacific Islands Council of Trade Unions (PICTU) workshop in Port Vila, Vanuatu, according to a report by Fiji’s FBC News.
The workshop brought together workers and trade union representatives from across the Pacific, including workers under Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
Fetalaiga said many Samoan workers came from villages and remote communities and struggled to understand their employment documents.
