Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Colin Bond: New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated CEO on the Government's planned changes to the RSE scheme

Transcript

Colin Bond: New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated CEO on the Government's planned changes to the RSE scheme · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So the government is shaking up the Recognized Seasonal Employment scheme.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: A good time to be doing it, of course, because
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: we've got the season coming out. The changes will make
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: it easier for workers to leave exploitative employers, to switch
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: growers that's an interesting one, and to apply for protection
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: if needed. Good employers also will be rewarded with our
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: longest six year accreditation. So Colin Bond joins us from
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: the New Zealand key We Fruit Growers Incorporated. He's the CEO.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Morning Colin, good morning to be happy to get these changes.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Are they just a tweak or they something more substantive.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: I think something more substantive actually, and it's changes that
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: employers have been asking for for a while, as had
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: the Pacific as well, because after nearly twenty years, the
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: scheme's got very complex, so a time an opportunity now
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: is to simplify and make sure everybody understands the requirements
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: of the scheme.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: So I see how being able to switch grows is good.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I mean growers would love that, et cetera. I see
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: how if you're a good employee get rewarded with a
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: longer accreditation. So that's good as well. But this whole
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: thing about workers leading exploitative employers. How big a problem
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: in New Zealand has worker exploitation been.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: Oh, we don't see it as a significant problem at all,
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: and the incidence of it happening is very small. At
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: the end of the day, we've got two hundred employers
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: and twenty thousand workers and we want to make sure
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: everybody involved in the scheme gets a great experience. So
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: I think structurally it's important that if an employee is
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: in a situation where they don't feel like they're being
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: looked after, then the scheme needs to have a system
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: that allows that worker to be transferred and looked after.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: So I don't think it's a big problem, but still
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: important that the scheme is a solution.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: So you've got some workers, you've got to house them,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: and there are going to be some decisions made about
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: accommodation standards made in September. What would you like to
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: see from them?
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Just clarity so that employers who are purpose building accommodation
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: in the future have got certainty about making sure that
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: if they build it, then the workers can come and
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: it will meet all of the requirements of the scheme
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: for the long term. So again something that employers have
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: been asking for for a while. We want certainty to
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: invest so that employees we can build great accommodation the
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: employees can come and enjoy it.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Have yourself a good season, Colin, and I thank you
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: for your time today. Colin is the CEO of the
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Kiwi Fruit Growers' Association.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
• 2:24
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• 2:27
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