Latest news with #seasonalworkers
ABC News
16-07-2025
- ABC News
From surviving Samoa's tsunami to hosting a king: Tuatagaloa gives life lessons in perseverance
When Samoa was devastated by a tsunami in 2009, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale lost his wife, Tui. Nine people from his village of Poutasi on Upolu's south-east coast died that day, and the area was destroyed. Out of this personal disaster, Tuatagaloa decided to do something for his village and the wider district of Falealili. He set up the Poutasi Development Trust, where every family gets an opportunity to earn money through New Zealand's seasonal workers' scheme and Australia's PALM scheme. Over coffee on a rainy afternoon in Apia, Tuatagaloa shared this story and myriad memories from growing up in colonial Samoa to hosting King Charles III during his royal visit last year. Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale spoke candidly with Nesia Daily in Apia, Samoa. Tuatagaloa narrated these life moments as though he were flicking through a camera reel. The man is even a skilled musician on the side. "I have my ukulele in my ca,r" he laughs, revealing to us that he brings his instrument with him everywhere because "you never know". Within this small sampling of what was an hour-long talanoa, Tuatagaloa spoke on the things most dear to his heart as well as the power of his people. "It's amazing what some people can do, given the opportunity," he said with a smile.
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
To Afford Montauk, He Went on ‘Jeopardy'
Stevie Ruiz lives in the sunny, beachy eastern tip of Long Island in the hamlet of Montauk. He works as a server in a restaurant and, like many who make a living in the seasonal enclave, he earns most of his income during the warmer months. Two years ago, he left a career as a front office manager because he could make more money waiting tables. It takes him just three days in the restaurant to make as much money as he used to make in two weeks at a hotel. But there was a major downside. 'The hotel provided housing,' he said. 'The restaurant doesn't.' That, he said, is the norm in Montauk. 'A lot of restaurants out here don't provide housing for front of house workers,' he said. 'Housing is pretty limited and expensive and they want to make sure they have their kitchen staff taken care of. You can always find people to pick up server shifts here and there.' Without housing from his employer, Mr. Ruiz, who is currently staying with a friend, has learned to hop from one living situation to another. For a few weeks during the winter, he stayed at his mother's home in North Carolina, where he spent part of his childhood. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
19-06-2025
- The Guardian
Employees at firm that supplied grape-pickers for champagne on trial for human trafficking
Three employees of a firm that provided workers to pick grapes for champagne has gone on trial for human trafficking, in one of the biggest labour scandals to hit France's exclusive sparkling wine industry. The employees of the firm supplying grape pickers for the champagne harvest in 2023 were charged with human trafficking and exploiting seasonal workers, submitting vulnerable people to undignified housing conditions, and employing foreign nationals without authorisation The firm itself was also on trial for moral responsibility in the case. The case, being heard at the criminal court of Châlons-en-Champagne in north-east France, has become known in France as 'the grape harvest of shame'. A police investigation found that a total of 57 men and women, mostly from west African countries and many of them undocumented, were allegedly held in fetid housing. They were allegedly forced to work in conditions likened to slavery while hand-picking grapes in Champagne's picturesque vineyards, in a region recognised as a Unesco world heritage site. The case came to light when residents in the small village of Nesle-le-Repons called police to complain about noise and activity in a derelict house during the September 2023 grape harvest. A labour inspectorate found what it said in a report were 'disgusting' and 'dilapidated' living conditions at the house. Grape-pickers were allegedly forced to sleep on what they described as stinking inflatable mattresses in a house without proper flooring, walls or windows, amid dangerous electrical wiring and rusty bed frames. There was no adequate water supply, washing facilities or sanitation and only three blocked and unusable toilets. The workers, from countries including Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal, were allegedly given too little food – either rice or sandwiches that were rotting. They were said to be transported to vineyards crammed into the back of vans, standing up, with no seats or windows. Some told investigators they worked for 10 hours with only a 30-minute break and were threatened if they wanted to rest or drink water. They are believed to have been hired from areas in northern Paris where refugees and undocumented people often sleep rough or in tents and were driven to the Champagne region with the promise of work. The state prosecutor said the housing in the Champagne area included 'worn and dirty sanitation facilities', outdoor kitchen and living areas that were unprotected from the weather, and bedding strewn on the floor. Two of the former workers told local French media that they still cried when thinking about the conditions they experienced. Maxime Cessieux, a lawyer for the workers, said the accused had 'a total contempt' and disrespect for 'human dignity'. A lawyer for one of the accused employees told the Nouvel Obs he had only been involved in initial recruitment, and had had nothing to do with housing or work conditions. The CGT trade union said there must be an end to exploitation of seasonal workers in vineyards. In a sign that the case was being taken seriously by the industry, the Champagne Committee, which represents 16,200 winemakers, 130 cooperatives and 370 champagne houses, took part in the trial as a civil party – a first for legal proceedings concerning the living conditions of seasonal workers. The committee is 'firmly opposed to these unacceptable practices', its director, Charles Goemaere, said in a statement in March. A wine cooperative in the Marne was also on trial for moral responsibility in using illegal labour. Every year, about 120,000 seasonal workers are brought into the Champagne region to handpick grapes grown across 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) and used to make the sparkling alcoholic drink. But the plight of seasonal workers has sometimes cast a shadow over champagne's reputation. In 2023, four grape-pickers died, believed to have suffered sunstroke after working in scorching heat. During the 2018 champagne harvest, dozens of workers, including many from Afghanistan, were discovered housed in fetid conditions. Two members of a firm providing labour to the wine industry were found guilty of human trafficking and given prison sentences. David Desgranges, vice-president of the Consortium Contre l'Esclavage Moderne (Committee Against Modern Slavery), told Agence France-Presse: 'The public should be made aware of the extent of human trafficking in the agricultural sector, and producers should know that they may face legal action.'
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Difficult' to weed lavender farm after Brexit
A lavender farmer said it had been "a bit touch and go" to weed crops in time for peak visitor season since new visa rules were introduced after Brexit. Lorna Maye, owner of Mayfield Lavender Farm in Banstead, Surrey, said finding workers had been tricky since the UK left the EU and sponsoring visas was expensive. People from the EU, except Irish citizens, have needed visas to work in the UK since the post-Brexit immigration system came into force in January 2021, and EU immigration has decreased since freedom of movement ended. The government said it was "exploring options to support the sector". Ms Maye said her farm, which was established in 2006 and is open to visitors, grew its lavender organically so relied on workers to manually weed its crops. "We weed 140,000 plants by hand so that it's beautifully manicured, so that people do want to visit a lavender farm," the farmer told BBC Radio Surrey. "Since Brexit, getting workers to come in has been quite difficult because of the visas that have been required now to bring people in." Ms Maye added that sponsoring visas was "hugely expensive" and there "aren't as many workers that want to come over". The application fee for a seasonal worker visa is £319. She said: "It's always a bit touch and go whether we manage to get everything weeded in time for the season starting." Prior to the 2024 general election, the government extended its seasonal worker visa scheme until 2029. "This will allow farmers to plan and grow their businesses with the confidence they will have the labour they need to harvest their great British produce," a spokesperson said. They added it "isn't a long-term solution" and "businesses will need to adapt". Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Five key impacts of Brexit five years on Lavender fields open a week early after dry spring Farmers able to bid for growth funding Mayfield Lavender Farm
CBC
09-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sault Ste. Marie Duty Free owner laments near 40% drop in revenue, blames 'tariff war'
Social Sharing The owner of Sault Ste. Marie Duty Free is lamenting the "tariff war," which he said has had a devastating impact on business as Canadians cut back on travel to the U.S. Ralph Caria says he's seen a near 40 per cent drop in sales since President Donald Trump took office and later implemented sweeping tariffs. "The [duty-free] shops across Canada, they're down 40 to 80 per cent," Caria told CBC Sudbury. "There are some shops in remote areas like in B.C., they're down 80 per cent. Obviously the Ontario duty free, I'm in Ontario, we're closer to the 40 per cent." Caria said he would usually employ between 20 and 25 people during the summer. Those seasonal workers were excited about the summer, he said, adding they have been dealt a blow as they would be without a job this year. "It has an impact on staff… They worked so hard getting on the road to recovering after the border closure due to the pandemic and they were in a positive mindset," Caria said. "When they worked so hard and they thought we were on the way to recovering out of COVID and they were excited for this summer … it's disheartening for them … it's another punch in the gut." 'We cannot sell to the domestic market' Caria said duty-free stores are in a unique position where they can't pivot. "We cannot sell to the domestic market…I can't open my side door and sell to someone on a local street. I can't sell to you unless you're travelling to the U.S.," he said. "We have to sell to people that are entering the U.S. and that would be Canadians travelling and that would be Americans returning home. As you could well envision, that's devastating when the border is closed like in the pandemic or now because of the tariffs." FDFA appeals to Ottawa for help Last week the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA), which represents 32 stores across the country, pleaded with the federal government to offer financial assistance to struggling independently owned duty free stores amidst the ongoing political and economic trade war tension. An open letter penned on behalf of the association was sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on Tuesday. The letter outlines what's referred to as a disproportionate impact the stores, and their work forces, are facing from tariffs and continued cross-border travel disruptions. Barbara Barrett, the executive director for FDFA, says "immediate action" is needed from Ottawa. "When travel slows or stops, our stores — all independently owned, family run and often the main employer in their towns — are the first to feel it and often the hardest hit," she told reporters during a Tuesday morning news conference on Parliament Hill. "Our communities can't afford to lose these businesses. That's why today's letter is so urgent and why we're calling on the government to step in before the damage becomes permanent." Association president Tania Lee says the FDFA is looking for things such as liquidity support for its hardest hit stores, and clarity on export rules. "Our ask is modest, but the need is urgent," Lee said.
