Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka plans to address the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, where he intends to engage in discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In remarks made in Tonga, Mr. Rabuka emphasized the need to reevaluate both the PALM scheme and the Seasonal Workers Scheme with New Zealand due to growing concerns about harsh working conditions.
The PALM scheme has faced serious allegations related to unsafe working conditions experienced by Fijian workers, leading to a government investigation. A notable case involved the death of Christine Lewailagi, 24, who passed away from a brain tumor while employed under the PALM scheme in Australia earlier this year. Following her death, claims surfaced regarding poor treatment, instances of racism, restricted health care, and threats of job loss being issued to workers. Mr. Rabuka described the situation as akin to modern-day slavery.
Mr. Rabuka stated that the Minister for Employment, Agni Deo Singh, along with his Permanent Secretary, Nemani Maritino, have recently been in Australia to investigate these allegations. He reiterated that the issue warrants attention at the ministerial level, and he intends to raise it directly with the Australian Prime Minister.
The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting is set to take place tomorrow, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expected to attend. On Saturday, Mr. Rabuka met with the Fijian community in Tonga, where concerns about employment issues in both Australia and New Zealand were voiced. Also present were various officials, including Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Sakiasi Ditoka and Fiji’s representatives to the United Nations and New Zealand.
Community feedback from Fijians in Tonga highlighted several issues, including:
– Fijians being misled and facing poor working conditions that violate their employment contracts.
– Lack of health coverage, with foreign workers paying around $2,000 pa’anga (FJ$1,871.93) for maternity fees.
– Difficulties renewing passports due to high airfare costs, with Fijians in Tonga reporting one-way tickets on Fiji Airways costing 1,200 pa’anga (FJ$1,123.16), a price many wish to see reduced.