Pacific Islands Guestworkers in Australia: The New Blackbirds?

Description

This is the first book to examine the contemporary seasonal migration of Pacific islanders to Australia through the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP). It reflects on this new age of guestwork from a broad social, economic, political and cultural perspective in both source countries and destinations. In so doing, it offers a critical perspective on different phases of managed labour migration from nineteenth century practices of ‘blackbirding’ to the present day. This book examines why and how guestworker policies and programmes have developed, and the impact this has had in Australia and for the people, villages and islands of the sending states. It particularly focuses on Vanuatu, the main source of labour, and draws upon studies based in Australia, Vanuatu and other Pacific Island countries. The book therefore traces new patterns of migration, with intriguing economic and social consequences, that are restructuring parts of rural and regional Australia in response to labour demands from agriculture and evolving regional geopolitics.  Preface Acknowledgements Contents Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1: Introduction: A New Age of Temporary Migration? History The Pacific Island Countries Bibliography 2: The Pacific Island Countries Late Independence and Development Economic Development Agriculture, Forests and Fish Mines Tourism Employment, Incomes and Poverty Trade Aid Overcoming Tyrannies of Distance? Bibliography 3: Two Centuries of Pacific Migration Complex Labour Flows Blackbirding: The Early Labour Trade The Diversification of Migration Urbanisation The Global Long Boom: International Migration Hazards and Resettlement Remittances National Strategies and Migration Schemes The Precedence of Kiribati and Tuvalu Policy Detours APTC and KANI The Diversity of Migration Bibliography 4: The Revival of Guestwork A Twentieth-Century Twist—Back to Agriculture A Theoretical Detour … and a Context Hard Realities Enter the World Bank The Canadian Model Labour Shortages and Development Directions Bibliography 5: Early Days New Zealand and the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme Australia and the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme The Pilot Schemes in Operation Vanuatu Recruiting from Tanna, Vanuatu From Vanuatu to New Zealand and Australia Tonga First Movers An Early Triple Win? Bibliography 6: Taking Part Where Do Workers Come From? Recruitment Pacific Labour Migration Policies and Legislation Agents: Advantages and Pitfalls Employer Involvement in Recruitment Worker Selection: Knowing the Right People Selecting Workers: Community Involvement? Geographies of Participation Return Workers Demographic Trends and Structures The High Cost of Labour Migration Pre-departure and Arrival Training: On to the Job Winners and Losers? Uneven Beginnings Bibliography 7: Destination Australia Labour Shortages? A Crisis and Clues from COVID-19 The Geography of Seasonal Work in Australia Employers’ Perspectives On the Job Economic Gains Remittances Accommodation Getting Around? Health Costs Work and Welfare Bibliography 8: Social Worlds A Spectrum of Experiences Connection and Isolation Socio-economic Impacts on Host Communities Churches, Sport and Diaspora Connections Keeping in Touch with Home Labour Rights and Power Imbalances Blacklisting and Standing Down Underpayment and Elusive Wages Pastoral Care and Monitoring Unions: Fighting for Rights … Sometimes Negotiating Online Transient Times Bibliography 9: Home Again New Wealth, Familiar Patterns Remittances in Kind: Technology and Consumer Durables Housing Education Business Development Social Functions and Community Objectives Family Breakdown? Labour Losses and Food Security Skill Losses and Brain Drain Bringing Skills Home? Towards Modernity Bibliography 10: A New Phase: Stepping up a Gear? New Beginnings The Northern Australia Worker Pilot Program (NAWPP) The Pacific Labour Scheme Familiar Themes of Success and Failure Towards Permanence? Bibliography 11: The New Blackbirds? The New Blackbirds? Plus ça Change …? An Uneven World? Precarious Work, Precarious Lives Wage Theft Weapons of the Weak Winning and Losing? Equity Economics Society Whose Development? Bibliography 12: Hosts and Guests Towards Permanency? Eternal Demand? The Future PICs: A Kind of Blue A Strategic Arena A Widening Sphere? Bibliography Bibliography Index