Contractors Welcome Raids

Contractors Welcome Raids

The recent raids netting a significant number of illegal workers in the viticulture and horticulture industries has been welcomed by the Rural Contractors Federation as a long awaited compliance enforcement for the contracting industry.

RACF Executive Director Roger Parton said that the problem of illegal workers was an ongoing major issue for the industry and the recent enforcement action was a very good sign that the matter was at last being addressed.

“We were critical of the Governments efforts in this area and were concerned that the recently announced Pacific Seasonal Work Scheme would not work because of lack of compliance enforcement. These recent raids are welcome proof that the Government is being serious on this issue. And it bodes well for the success of the scheme.”

Mr Parton said that contractors in the viticulture industry were continuously being undercut by other contractors who were either using illegal labour and/or not meeting the statuitory requirements regarding minimum pay rates, PAYE, ACC and the like.

“The contractor who meets the legal requirements is having great difficulty in competing with those who do not play by the rules. Our concern has been that the new seasonal work scheme would not operate properly unless all play by the same rules. The success of the scheme now looks far more promising and should be of great benefit to the industry and the contractors”, Mr Parton said

ENDS

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