Aust, union demands end to N.Z. labour

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 2

Aust, union demands end to N.Z. labour

NZPA Perth West Australian farmers would be unable to seed and harvest their crops without employing New Zealand seasonal workers, according to the New Zealand Consul in Perth, Mr R. M. Burrows. He estimates that 50 to 70 young New Zealanders come to the state each year to fill the demand for qualified labour needed to handle complicated farming equipment. Mr Burrows was commenting on demands by the Australian Workers’ Union that the practice should stop.

The State Secretary uf the union (Mr G. Barr) said the Federal Government should take action to curb the traffic of workers between Australia and New Zealand. The union was investigating an unconfirmed report from its members that the Commonwealth Employment Service had conducted an advertising campaign in New Zealand to recruit 2000 farm workers. The members alleged that the campaign had resulted in 5000 workers being brought to Australia. But Mr Burrows, the State Director of the

C.E.S. (Mr W. R. Clarke) anti the manager of an agricultural staff bureau in Perth (Mr J. P. I. Rymer) said they were unaware of such an advertising cam paign. Mr Barr accused West Australian farmers of exploiting local labour by not training them properly to handle sophisticated equipment. In every other industry employers had to pay people as they trained them, he said. “But farmers take on labour only in a good season and cast them off like dirty socks when times are hard.”