Redundant workers must look at their regional options, even temporarily
For decades regional agriculture has relied on backpackers to do the work young Australians didn’t want to do. COVID-19 has closed that door but few of the 800,000 who signed up for Jobseeker have shown any interest in hitting the road.
Opinion
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Doubling the dole to counter the job-smashing effect of the Wuhan virus may have been a good idea at the time but it will smash regional economies.
The backpacker workforce is all but gone, the annual influx of seasonal workers from the Pacific is unlikely and unemployed inner-urban workers don’t seem willing to stray beyond their latte-laced comfort zones.
Crops of mangoes are ripening, and strawberries, tomatoes, melons, cherries — but this year the produce may have to be left on the tree or ploughed under because there is no sign the teams of pickers will appear.
Few of the more than 800,000 people who signed up for Jobseeker when the unemployment payment was “temporarily” doubled to $1100 a fortnight have shown any interest in taking to the road.
Even if some wished to, the Labor governments in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, aren’t likely to throw out the welcome mat for southerners.
It’s not as if there are thousands of hospitality jobs on offer, either, but should that sector reopen temporary workers may be more attracted to café and restaurant work than field picking.
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For decades regional agriculture has relied on backpackers to do the work young Australians didn’t want to do.
There is massive unemployment in regional areas but the locals would prefer to stay on the double-dole for as long as it lasts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised it would stay at that level at least until September.
We’ll see if he has the courage to reduce it then. Labor and the Greens are urging the dole stay permanently at the higher rate despite its obvious incentive-sapping effect. So what was an emergency measure is creating another emergency in the bush.
Redundant workers just aren’t showing any sign of a willingness to look at their regional options, even temporarily. As with everything affected by fallout from the coronavirus, we are entirely in uncharted waters.
The government is playing catch-up trying to determine the magnitude of the problem but even agricultural groups on the frontline don’t have the statistics to plan for the lack of temporary workers.
As a stopgap, the government has extended approval under the Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Scheme to extend their stay for up to 12 months, with approved employers.
Working holiday-makers are eligible for a further visa if they work in agriculture and they will be exempted from the six-month work limitation with one employer.
A national Agricultural Labour Advisory Committee has been established to develop a national Agricultural Workforce Strategy to examine all the challenges facing the sector, not just seasonal workers.
Anecdotally, there are reports of banana pickers around Tully and Mirriwinni in far north Queensland who walked off the job after the Jobseeker payment was increased and the requirements to access it were relaxed.
One farmer said the workers told him they’d rather sit at home, earn double dole and play Xbox than hump bananas all day in the rain and heat.
Farmers on the Atherton Tablelands are increasingly worried about getting workers for the lychee, mango and other tropical fruit-picking season, which is due to start about October. Another fear is that once travel restrictions are eased, many backpackers will take the opportunity to fly home or on to their next destination, further depleting the labour pool.
The farmers hope the government can design a strategy to provide incentives for Australians and backpackers to try their hand at fruit-picking.
Those who want to do more than just sit at home and wonder why fruit and vegetable prices are rising have the opportunity to do something now — a chance to get off the dole and contribute.
We’re not dealing with a skill shortage; it’s a national will shortage we face.