Results for seasonal workers

At a time when labour mobility in Tonga and the Pacific has raised concerns in the face of continuing migration of thousands of labourers overseas, Tonga is implementing a supply management strategy as a pillar of its three-year-old Labour Mobility Policy. “The findings presented to us, highlights the need for the Strategy,” said the Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku in launching the strategy on 13 April.

Cold and hungry, after a day-long ordeal, some 50 Tongan orchard workers, who were stranded on their bungalow rooftops by rising floodwaters near Hastings, New Zealand, were rescued by the New Zealand Defence Force yesterday evening.

The New Zealand Government has announced additional 3000 places for the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE).

The repatriation flight to Tonga from Brisbane, scheduled on 30 June, has been deferred due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney and parts of Queensland, MEIDECC stated today. However, the repatriation flight from New Zealand is still scheduled to arrive tomorrow, Wednesday, with about 240 passengers.

A repatriation flight with 110 passengers arrived in Tonga from Auckland, today. Another flight from Australia was scheduled today, to pick up seasonal workers, who are expected to depart for Australia later this evening.

More than 100 seasonal workers left Tonga on a chartered flight for Australia this afternoon, February 25. Tonga has since last year been sending seasonal workers to Australia, despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and border closures.

Eight hundred and fifteen additional seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, have been approved to help fill jobs in horticulture and meat processing industries in New South Wales, Australia.

117 repatriated passengers arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport from Brisbane, Australia this afternoon. Tongan seasonal workers boarded the return flight to Brisbane.

One hundred and fifty seasonal workers from Tonga arrived in Queensland on October 29 to fill the shortage of workers needed for the agriculture and horticulture industries between now and Christmas.