44 Abscond from Australian Farms

BY ELTON LONARATHA JNR

FORTY-FOUR Solomon Islands workers have absconded from their assigned farms under Australia’s Labour Mobility Scheme.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka disclosed the figure whilst responding to questions from Opposition Leader Mathew Wale about the welfare of Solomon Islanders working under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in Parliament last Friday.

Wale raised concerns about a reported case involving a young female worker who became pregnant by another Solomon Islands recruit and gave birth in Australia but couldn’t access medical services because she absconded from her employment agency.

“Absconding from agencies turns into limbo for most locals recruited under the PALM scheme.

“Those agents are responsible for locating the locals in their respective farms to work,” Wale said.

The Opposition Leader said reports suggest that some workers abscond due to hefty deductions from their wages, while others leave for various personal reasons.

Minister Agovaka acknowledged the issue but said the 44 absconders represent a relatively small number compared to other Pacific nations participating in the scheme.

“Comparing the number to other regional countries like Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, we have a smaller number of locals who absconded from their employment agencies,” Agovaka said.

He added that the Ministry has two country liaison officers responsible for visiting Solomon Islands workers on Australian farms, supplemented by visits from the Commissioner in Canberra and the Consular General in Brisbane.

Member of Parliament for Small Malaita, Rick Hou, raised another troubling case involving workers recruited by an employment agency who are currently on the streets after their employer was placed under investigation, leaving work was suspended.

“They were not able to look for another job in another farm because they were handed contracts which create rigidity for them to move around looking for temporary jobs while waiting for their employer to sort things out and get back to normal operations,” Hou said.

Agovaka noted that while the Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) program has helped many Solomon Islanders, social issues among workers have created complications.

“These social issues have spilled over to other workers including other employers as well,” the minister said.

He assured Parliament that the government is working closely with Australian authorities to address the problems and has implemented a blacklist system for workers who abscond.

“When they return home, they cannot go back, because we don’t allow them to go back. They are on our blacklist of people not allowed to go back to Australia and New Zealand through the scheme.

“We are working closely with the Australian and New Zealand authorities in trying to address this issue, basically with consultation with employers and employees,” Agovaka said.

The minister said the government is focused on resolving these issues this year while maintaining the programme’s benefits for Solomon Islands workers.

Meanwhile, as of October, Solomon Islands has sent 5,446 workers to Australia and 622 to New Zealand under the labour mobility scheme. The country has also deployed 67 aged care workers to Australia, as well as nurses working in health sectors in Vanuatu and Niue.

Photo: Supplied

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