Offering the same level of pastoral care to Kiwi workers as is offered to labour from the Pacific may be the only answer to horticulture labour shortages next season. That particularly applied in the cased of recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers and backpackers. Instead the horticulture sector would be reliant on New Zealanders to fill the roles, Mr Jones said. "How we treat seasonal staff has been the topic of many media articles, social media posts and even in comment from Government ministers." "I think the time has come to recognise that all our seasonal workers would benefit from increased levels of pastoral care."

Source: Otago Daily Times April 02, 2021 15:33 UTC