25 Sep 2013

Samoa may recruit seasonal workers for NZ, Australia

11:48 pm on 25 September 2013

Samoa's government is considering new measures for recruiting workers into seasonal work schemes with New Zealand and Australia.

Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi says some workers have broken the law while overseas.

The Prime Minister says there have been reports of drunkenness, rape and the wilful destruction of a company vehicle.

He refused to say where the alleged offences took place, or if the offenders were from Samoa, or other Pacific nations involved in the seasonal worker schemes.

Tuila'epa says the home villages of workers found to be in breach of any of the scheme's requirements could be banned for two years while workers committing serious offences face four-year bans.

He says his government will become the only body authorised to recruit workers because most incidents have involved workers recruited by outsiders.