‘Unworkable’: Coalition to grill Labor on Pacific worker laws

New rules guaranteeing 30 hours of work a week to employees from Pacific nations have been slammed as unworkable as the Coalition ramps up its grilling of the government on the issue.

The Albanese government is being grilled on details of changes to the working agreements of Pacific workers being employed in Australia as farmers argue the reforms will make it impossible to rely on their current worker arrangements.

Businesses have argued that changes to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme — that will force employers to guarantee 30 hours per week for workers from nine Pacific nations working in Australia — will strangle seasonal businesses in red tape.

Others also say the new scheme will hamper Australia’s relationship with the Pacific as more employers choose backpackers and students over Pacific workers.

The Coalition’s Pacific spokesman Michael McCormack has submitted questions in writing putting the Pacific Minister Pat Conroy on notice over how the government came to the new PALM agreements.

Nationals MP Michael McCormack. Picture: Matt Beaver

Pacific Minister Pat Conroy. Picture: Supplied

“These changes were made without adequate consultation with stakeholders and now those stakeholders are considering walking away from the scheme, which would be detrimental, particularly to the agriculture and horticulture industries,” Mr McCormack said.

“Recent figures show there are almost 40,000 PALM scheme workers in Australia, many of which are supporting regional businesses.

“Those in the know, including our farmers who produce our fresh food and fibre, know that work availability can vary significantly due to uncontrollable factors such as adverse weather or natural disasters, but their voices are being ignored as the union-backed decision makers forge ahead with this flawed policy.”

In the last sitting week, Coalition MPs spoke up in parliament about the unworkable nature of the scheme and criticised the government for a lack of consultation with businesses.

There are fears farmers will turn away from Pacific workers. Picture: Mark Stewart

One of the scheme’s approved employers Kerry McCarthy said the changes will have a particularly negative impact on horticulture businesses where weekly demand for work changes based on market trends and seasons.

“This includes casual workers and a lot of horticulture workers are casual. Effectively having to guarantee them 30 hours a week is not doable in horticulture with the seasonal shoulder period based on market demands,” she said.

The Coalition has grilled the government on the changes. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Businesses have a choice again, the backpackers are back, the students are back, the working holiday-makers are back. And they will choose to not hire pacific workers.

“We are very concerned that this government has promised the Pacific that demand will grow … but nothing in the new deed and guidelines contributes to increased demands.”

A spokesman for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said the new changes spoke to concerns raised by Australia’s Pacific partners.

“Our Pacific and Timor-Leste partners have identified low work hours as a significant concern and a key driver for worker disengagement. Workers need enough income every week to support both themselves and their families and communities at home,” they said.

“Employers have always been required to offer short-term workers at least 30 hours per week, averaged over a worker’s entire placement (up to 9 months), but averaging resulted in work legitimately not offered in some weeks and workers struggling to support themselves.

“International comparison programs, such as the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme already require 30 hrs per week, leaving Australia at risk of being less competitive for reliable and productive PALM workers.”

Originally published as ‘Unworkable’: Coalition to grill Labor on Pacific worker laws