It is incredible what is happening at one of the Government’s core ministries, the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour, with its running of the seasonal worker schemes yet again coming under scrutiny for breaching official Samoa Government policy.

The schemes – Australia’s Seasonal Worker Programme (S.W.P.) and the Pacific Labour Scheme (P.L.S.) which now come under the auspices of the Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (R.S.E.) scheme – are managed by the Ministry’s Seasonal Employment Unit.

But in August last year a group of seasonal workers made headlines when they flew to Auckland, New Zealand despite the Samoa Government through the Cabinet, placing a temporary ban on the deployment of workers under the R.S.E. scheme.

A total of 17 seasonal workers flew to New Zealand in defiance of the Cabinet ban, with even the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour C.E.O. Pulotu Lyndon Chu Ling puzzled, how the workers’ trip and flight was given the nod when “no approval has been given by Cabinet”.

The Minister for Commerce Industry and Labour, Leatinuu Wayne So’oialo, also expressed disappointment at the breach of a Cabinet directive and revealed that at that time his Ministry was tasked to prepare a report on how the breach occurred.

Five months after that unauthorised flight by the 17 seasonal workers to New Zealand and word has come through of another deployment, again without the approval of the Cabinet.

An article (Investigation into how RSE workers left during ban) in the Saturday 21 January 2023 edition of the Weekend Observer reported on the illegal deployment of more seasonal workers, as the M.C.I.L. commissioned another investigation.

A copy of the travellers’ itinerary obtained by the Samoa Observer showed that a total of 18 seasonal workers left the country on Sunday 15 January 2023 for New Zealand.

One of the 18 seasonal workers, who did not want to be named, told this newspaper that they are being queried by Samoan officials as to how they were able to resume the trip when it was supposed to be on hold due to the temporary stop.

According to the seasonal worker, a senior official with the M.C.I.L. was responsible for processing their paper work and travel documents, but is not responding to their calls anymore.

"We tried to reach out to her when we were informed about us being illegally deployed here for work but we heard she is on leave," he explained.

"They're putting the blame on us when we had no idea about the ban on the scheme. We were questioned about how and who got our passports from the immigration and it was all her."

We are miffed that the Ministry charged with the responsibility to manage the various seasonal worker schemes has lost total control, with senior managers working in isolation of their C.E.O. and making decisions, which are in breach of Cabinet directives.

Who is that senior official within the M.C.I.L. that went ahead and approved and processed the paperwork for the latest deployment of seasonal workers to New Zealand?

Is she working in collusion with an external party outside of the Ministry hence the secret and unorthodox “under the coconut tree” consultations with the seasonal workers prior to their departure for Auckland?

It is time the Ministry’s C.E.O. Pulotu rein in his senior officers in order to restore control and authority at the M.C.I.L. and stamp out wanton breaches of official Government policy. 

In hindsight the Acting Minister for Commerce Industry and Labour – in the absence of Minister Leatinuu who is currently on medical leave – should issue a “please explain” memo to Pulotu as this is the second time in less than six months for an illegal flight of seasonal workers abroad under his watch.

Which reminds us what has become of the report that the MCIL was tasked to prepare for Minister Leatinuu following the first illegal flight of seasonal workers in August last year?

Did the internal investigation uncover and reveal the Ministry officials behind that illegal flight to New Zealand last August? 

And why wasn’t the details of that internal investigation made public so the people know that the Government and the responsible Ministry are proactive and transparent when it comes to addressing breaches of policy by public servants?

We wouldn’t be surprised if the unidentified senior M.C.I.L. official – who unsurprisingly hasn’t been answering her phone calls and pulled off the latest illegal stunt – is also involved in the first Cabinet directive breach in August last year when the 17-member seasonal workers illegally flew to New Zealand.

It is time to identify the bad apples within the Ministry and kick-start the process to remove them, as their continued employment with M.C.I.L. will set a bad precedent. 

Failure to take action now will open the door to more illegal activities at the Ministry, which over the long-term could negatively impact a labour programme, which is already bringing in millions of tala in remittances that indirectly contribute to keeping the Samoan economy afloat.