Dear Editor

Re: O.P.A.C. seeks workers under the Recognized Seasonal Scheme

What is to be paid from that 2,000 NZ per month wage? 

Are these fruit pickers responsible for their own living expenses over this six months living in NZ at the current cost of living in NZ? 

If so, this is a pitiful slavery wage and it’s not worth people leaving their families behind for this pathetic amount of money.

This is an exploitative wage for your labour. Unless you are able to afford to send at least 1500 NZD of this wage back to Samoa each month you will be in an endless cycle of poverty with nothing to exchange with these NZ fruit producers except your slave labour. 

You will remain in poverty, never able to create anything in Samoa to allow you to end your reality of being a slave for these companies. 

Demand a fair wage plus all your living expenses, plus health insurance, and no more than 8 hrs per day of labour. Otherwise you will end up with broken down bodies and continued poverty while the fruit producers get rich off your labour. 

If they are willing to house you and feed you while you pick their fruit, this may be worth your labour because you can create something in Samoa for your economic future and end your slave wage poverty situation. 

If the companies won’t pay you a wage that will allow you to bring change to yours and your families lives in Samoa tell them to let their fruit rot on the ground and enjoy your laid back life in Samoa with your families. 

Don’t perpetuate your own slavery by working for nothing. 

Don’t rely on Tuilaepa to negotiate a fair wage for you.

Tuilaepa does not care about poor Samoans, he is like a puppet of the elites because he cares only for his own economic future.

Wendy in wonder