Seasonal Work

Vanuatu is now supplying more labor via seasonal worker programs in Australia and New Zealand than any other Pacific Island country, and has grown a dependence on these regional labor programs. Ni-Vanuatu are attracted to the income potential as well as an opportunity to experience something different and new. For many, the labor programs are their best or only opportunity for decent pay. Thousands have returned with savings that have enabled them to acquire land, build a home, pay for school fees, or start a business of their own. But for some, the benefits come at a high cost, with many families fracturing and many domestic businesses and even government agencies finding it difficult to retain staff. Domestic agricultural production has slowed making families more dependent on imported foods, and the lack of younger able bodied men and women has also impeded community works and shrunk the services industry. The storyteller in this episode speaks of his experience - the good AND the bad - for continued dialogue on the merits and demerits of seasonal work programs in Vanuatu.