The Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations is working to help returning seasonal workers use their money wisely.

The ministry invited some returned workers to a two-day workshop that starter at the Friendly North Inn in Labasa yesterday.

More than 30 seasonal workers from the Northern Division were present.

The seasonal worker programme brings thousands of Pacific workers to fill labour shortages in rural Australia.

At the workshop, the workers shared their experiences about working conditions and revealed how much money they brought home and what they did with it.

The ministry’s assistant employment officer Sakeo Talemaimaleya said many returned seasonal workers invested their money into small farming businesses or to build new family houses.

“During this workshop we invited a few stakeholders who will advise them on the types of grants available that they can access and become more successful,” Mr Talemaimaleya said.

“There are a few participants that went to Australia more than two times for work because their employer wanted them.

“Employers in Australia are looking at the time and the effort they spent in training our seasonal workers.

“So they prefer to call back the same person to work for six months again for them.

“Our seasonal programme

is always employer driven and most of the seasonal workers are from the North.

“These workers worked in farms across Australia for different companies to pick banana, grapes, oranges and sweet potatoes.”

Next month a group of ten from the North will be leaving for seasonal work in Australia to pick sweet potatoes, it has been revealed

“Employers always make their preferences and over the years they have been minor issues which they themselves deal with immediately,” he said.

“The problems include being unproductive and excessive drinking.”

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