A new seasonal work employer under the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Work Scheme, Agworks Limited has employed 12 Fijian workers for seasonal work employment opportunities.

The company based in Napier, New Zealand is well known for contracting workers to major farms around the Hawkes Bay region in New Zealand with majority of their workers from Thailand and India.

This is their first recruitment from Fiji and they have relinquished recruiting workers from other neighbouring Pacific Islands.

Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Permanent Secretary, Salaseini Daunabuna, said that the workers departed Fiji on Wednesday and have been farewelled and presented with their pre-departure orientation and life skills training certificates last Friday.

“This second batch comprised of five workers from Koro, five from Naitasiri, one from Vanua Levu and Namosi,” Mrs Daunabuna said.

“They will engage in grapes farming carrying out bud rubbing, leaf plucking, bunch thinning, hand harvesting, winter pruning, planting, grafting bud wood collection, running out wires, and installing irrigation.

“They have been contracted for six months.”

The owner of the company, Indirjit Bedi, has also shown interest in recruiting more workers from Fiji provided the pilot group perform exceptionally well.

Ms Daunabuna emphasised to the workers whilst farewelling them that the key for opening and closing doors for more work opportunities for other fellow Fijians depended entirely on them as an individual and as a group.

“If you do not perform well, you will close doors for your other Fijian brothers and sisters,” Ms Daunabuna said.

The Permanent Secretary encouraged the 12 male workers to aim high and with the right attitude they can succeed and supercede the employer’s expectation and open many doors for other potential Fijian workers.

Source: DEPTFO News

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