Cash incentives to entice farm workers may backfire

When it comes to cash incentives for workers so fruit and vegies are picked on time, the law of unintended consequences is rearing its head, writes Ed Gannon.

Michelle Garae 29 (front left) from Vanuatu is a Pacific islander who is employed on the seasonal worker program as a fruit picker in Stanthorpe. Pictured at work in the packing shed at the Stanthorpe Apple Shed, Thulimbah. Pics Adam Head

IMAGINE you are out picking fruit.

Yes, I know that’s a stretch, because very few people want to pick fruit.

But just imagine you are picking apples, and a picker turns up next to you.

After some polite chit chat it comes out the new arrival has not come for the love of fruit picking.

Rather, they have managed to get $6000 in travel and rental assistance from the Federal Government and another $2430 cash from the Victorian Government.

And you? Well, you have been picking fruit for the same farmer every year for the past 10 years — and you have received none of the largesse heaped upon your new work chum.

Hardly seems fair.

But that scenario could be coming to Victorian orchards and vineyards, with the State Government recently announcing a $2430 cash incentive to get people to pick fruit and vegies to make up for the lack of overseas backpackers here to do the work.

This follows the Federal Government’s $6000 in travel and rental assistance introduced late last year. Both require workers to stay in the job for at least six weeks.

They are drastic measures that might work, but they are up against it, as a recent example around Shepparton showed.

A scheme to get Goulburn Valley locals to pick fruit had 1300 people express interest in working on orchards. Yet just 40 of those ended up in picking jobs.

That’s a success rate of 3 per cent - even with the chance to claim at least the Victorian Government cash.

But that is the reality the industry faces as it tries to coax people from their homes to work in hot, dry conditions and to stay in often basic accommodation.

But back to the potential for picker disharmony between the haves and have nots.

In the case above the seasoned worker would be within their rights to demand the boss make up the $8420 difference.

But the boss is not going to pay, for it is government money.

Or they could resign and re-register via the state and government schemes to get the benefits. However, to be eligible for the $2430 you can’t have worked in agriculture for the previous three months. And they are not going to get federal assistance to relocate.

So they either grudgingly stick with it or quit.

And in a time-sensitive game such as fruit picking, quitting would cause more chaos.

Particularly now, with apples and cherries currently being picked and wine grapes coming on line this month.

It is the crunch time the industry has been warning of for a year.

The state and federal governments have at least made an attempt to entice workers on to farms.

But, as always with these schemes, it is the unintended consequences that will get you.

And in this case worker morale may be more rotten than the fruit lying on the ground.

• Ed Gannon is Editor of The Weekly Times