Book chapter
Pacific Labour Mobility on Pause: Consequences of Temporary Immobility During the Pandemic
COVID in the Islands: A comparative perspective on the Caribbean and the Pacific, pp.299-319
Palgrave Macmillan
2021
Abstract
Every year, thousands of workers travel from the Pacific SIDS to undertake short-term labour contracts in Australia and New Zealand, in agriculture, horticulture and hospitality. Prior to the pandemic these seasonal worker schemes were rapidly expanding. As borders closed in response to COVID-19, Pacific labour mobility schemes abruptly ended. Many Pacific seasonal workers became ‘stuck’ in Australia and New Zealand, while others were unable to depart their home country. This ‘temporary immobility’ brought with it social and economic impacts for current the seasonal workers including variable working hours, social isolation and extended family separation. Many such issues are longstanding but were exacerbated by COVID-19, so that the pandemic provided an opportunity to increase dialogue on, and address, some of these ongoing issues as a matter of policy.
Details
- Title
- Pacific Labour Mobility on Pause: Consequences of Temporary Immobility During the Pandemic
- Authors
- Kirstie Petrou (Author) - Flinders UniversityOlivia Dun (Author) - University of MelbourneCarol Farbotko (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - LegacyTaukiei Kitara (Author) - Griffith University
- Contributors
- Yonique Campbell (Editor) - University of the West IndiesJohn Connell (Editor) - University of Sydney
- Publication details
- COVID in the Islands: A comparative perspective on the Caribbean and the Pacific, pp.299-319
- Publisher
- Palgrave Macmillan
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-981-16-5285-1_17; 10.1007/978-981-16-5285-1
- ISBN
- 9789811652851
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99584903102621
- Output Type
- Book chapter
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