Former Labor senator to be Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner
Former Labor minister Chris Evans will be Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner, with the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, announcing the longtime senator will take up a five-year term in
People and the sea: Tuvalu harnesses its resources
Since regaining independence in 1979, Tuvalu has placed an emphasis on its maritime training institute at Amatuku, to produce skilled workers for merchant fleets in the Pacific and around the
Protecting the children left behind
A report looking at the impact of labour mobility schemes on children in four Pacific nations has found that while the remittances they generate are critical in supporting families, the schemes are placing physical and
Vanuatu MP calls on disengaged workers in Australia to return home
Vanuatu’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, has called for the safe return of over 2,000 nationals who have disengaged from Australian labour mobility
Solomon Islands pursue labour mobility scheme with UAE
The focus is on securing opportunities that will increase the participation of Solomon Islanders in UAE’s labour mobility
Congress candidates tackle CNMI economy, federal rules and the China factor
The CNMI faces many obstacles to building a resilient and sustainable economy. Challenges include limited natural
Thousands of migrant workers in Australia ‘trapped in slavery’
Migrant women escaping exploitative work conditions are delivering babies prematurely then being slugged with hefty medical bills, while male counterparts are sleeping in tents in parks in regional New South Wales (NSW)
New EU regulations challenge Fiji’s fairtrade producers
A balancing act between global standards and local realities Fair trade practices in Fiji are under increasing scrutiny as new international regulations push producers to meet stringent environmental and human rights
Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: What’s Next?
On August 2, ballots for the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) closed for eight participating countries, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau who each received a two-week extension. Whether
Vanuatu official calls for prioritising children’s welfare
Children must be at the centre of labour mobility policies. Arthur Faerua, Director General (DG) of Vanuatu’s Ministry of Justice and Community Services (MoJCS) stressed this when stakeholders from Fiji, Samoa,
Superannuation is sitting in Australia as PALM workers report barriers, delays in claiming their money
Tevita Kofutu’a has plans for the $10,000 in superannuation he earned over five years of seasonal work in Australia. He’ll use it to buy a vehicle and pay a deposit on some land in Tonga where he and his
Property owner to appeal emergency order after 40 fruit pickers from Vanuatu found living in one Tasmanian house
About 40 fruit pickers from Vanuatu were found living in a “cramped, hot and crowded” dwelling in north-west Tasmania where the fire safety risk was “obvious”. The kitchen had only one working burner, and some
Pacific job market shows resilience amidst challenges, ILO report shows
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), reports ongoing challenges within the Pacific job market, despite resilient growth. The Pacific Tripartite High-Level Dialogue on Decent Work and the 2050 Strategy for the
Opinion: The falling demand of seasonal workers
Evidence over nine months to the end of February 2024 shows a declining demand for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme seasonal workers — those who used to be under the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP),
Opinion: How to enter the Pacific Engagement Visa ballot
Australia is about to launch a new visa that will for the first time create a Pacific quota in Australia’s permanent migration regime. 3,000 visas will be issued every year for the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.
Opinion: New data to inform big decisions around Pacific labour mobility
There has been much discussion about how the rapidly expanding labour mobility programmes in Australia and New Zealand have affected lives in the Pacific. Many have pointed to the significant economic benefits to
Opinion: NZ wants more seasonal workers – but Pacific nations no longer want to be the ‘outposts’ that ‘grow’ them
The three party leaders currently negotiating to form New Zealand’s next government might have their differences, but they seem to agree on one thing: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme needs to expand. New
Labour mobility a ‘double-edged word’: Samoa Chamber of Commerce President Seulupe
Samoa’s private sector members are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and are unable to take on the added expense of a minimum wage increase while navigating multiple challenges. That is the view of
Fijian aged care worker awarded 2023 HealthX carer of the year
Fijian aged care worker, Tupou Dilagi Naikidi (Dee), has been awarded the HealthX Carer of the Year Award for 2023. Dee is one of many Fijians recruited by the HealthX group under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility
Opinion: Pacific labour mobility over the last year: continued growth
Following the reopening of borders across the Pacific region in mid-2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a quick recovery in temporary labour migration flows to Australia and New Zealand. A
Pacific workers in Tasmania, Queensland in limbo as large employer quits PALM scheme
More than 200 Pacific workers have been left in limbo after their employer Linx Employment agreed to end its participation in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme amid worker treatment investigations. The
Tasmanian fruit pickers rescued from Samoa, Vanuatu and PNG alleged “modern slavery”
Tasmanian fruit pickers have been rescued from a company that has been treating them as ‘modern slaves’, unions say. The Australian federal government has revoked the business license of Linx Employment, leading to
Values, flexibility and digitisation
Global HR trends and the Pacific Global trends in human resources and recruitment include a greater focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts, recruiting for skills and adaptability (not just formal
