A visit by the Tongan Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele to Mr Apple's Blyth Orchard at Napier, New Zealand on Sunday, May 17 was an inspiration to the 65 Tongan workers who work at the orchard under the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme.

The RSE scheme has brought about 1,200 Tongan workers to New Zealand and it has become a vital source of foreign earnings and an important employment opportunity for Tongans since it started two years ago. At this early state of the scheme there were a few 'hiccups' that needed to be addressed, and the visit by the Prime Miinister was to meet the workers and to see first-hand the conditions that they are working under.

The Prime Minister who was accompanied by the Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo and a small delegation., were welcomed by Alistair Jamieson, the Labour Manager, and Richard Hill, the Technical Manager for Mr Apple Ltd.

Alistair was most grateful for the visit and expressed his gratitude for the contribution that the Tongan workers had made to their business. He said that the 2009 harvest was their most successful in 20 years' history of Mr Apple Ltd. The harvesting was completed in record time, and the apples were in their right condition, to ascertain they were in a fresh condition when they arrived at the markets.

Important workers

Both Alistair and Richard stressed to the Prime Miinister and the Tongan Minister for Labour that the RSE scheme had become an important part of their operation, and they would do their utter most to keep it running.

The few things that they would like to improve included an increase in the percentage of returned workers. Alistair pointed out that only about 50% of their Tongan workers returned, a figure that they would like to increase to 75% or more. Because after the first year they had become more skillful in the work they were doing.

Health issues

The two problem areas of concern for Mr Apple were the number of Tongan workers who had to return home early because of deaths in their families, and the health of the workers. Alistair said that workers were being affected by boils and it was a concern, and he put it down to their diet.

He said that he had tried to increase their weekly food allowance from $20 to $25 but they did not like it, they wanted to save their money, and therefore he did not think they were eating well, and they were all eating at different times. Mr Apple however tried to solve the problem by hiring a cook.

The other area of concern was over a period of five days to two weeks when there was no work at the orchard, and during that time the workers were hanging around, with no work, and no pay.

Despite some of these problems, both Dr Sevele and Mr Apple's management team were committed for the scheme to continue and that they would have to find solutions to some of these problems.

Families

During the meeting between the Prime Miinister, the Minister of Labour and the workers, the three leaders, Pailone Manu from Niuatoputapu, Filimone Manu, Tongatapu, and Sepuloni Fea'o from 'Eua praised the scheme and thanked the Prime Minister and the government for the opportunity for them to find employment in New Zealand and to earn money for their families back home.

Their one request was for government to ease the duty and port taxes on whatever they buy in New Zealand to send back to their families in Tonga.

Mr Apple is the biggest employer of workers under the RSE scheme. It employs 833 Pacific Island workers, including 480 Samoans, 290 Tongans, 70 Solomon Islanders and 50 Vanuatuans.

Tonga has 1,200 workers in New Zealand under the scheme.

Mr Apple Ltd. has the biggest apple orchard in New Zealand, it covers 1000 hectares in Hastings and Central Hawkes Bay. It exports 3.5 million cartons of apples annually overseas.