Help your migrants work

Prof  Gregorio Billikopf, of the University of California, speaks with  Dana Arcus (left), of...
Prof Gregorio Billikopf, of the University of California, speaks with Dana Arcus (left), of Grasslands Group, and Virginia Dean, of Rakaia Island Ltd, while in Ashburton. Photo by Maureen Bishop.
Employment issues in agricultural are the same the world over according to Prof Gregorio Billikopf, an international farm adviser specialising in labour management.

Prof Billikopf, from the University of California, met a small group of employers in Ashburton last week as part of his New Zealand visit.

He addressed delegates at the Australiasia Pacific Extension Network conference, at Lincoln University, along with speaking to staff from Lincoln and Dairy New Zealand and addressing students.

''People in each country think that they are very special, very different, very unique, whether they be from Russia or Chile or New Zealand,'' Prof Billikopf said.

''But there are the same issues and they even use the same expressions when talking about them.''

While he is an internationally recognised authority when it comes to migrant workers in the primary sector, Prof Billikopf believes employers should focus on good employment practice, rather than good migrant employment practice.

''Of course there are some cultural things to consider, but focus on what is good management practice for all employees.''

He also had advice for communities dealing with an increase in migrants.

''When a community can help the migrant feel as if they are part of the societal family, then we get success. On the other hand, if the migrant feels they are a second-class citizen, we tend to end up with gangs of youth doing illegal things because they want to feel part of `family'.

''If we don't help people feel they have the human factor in common then it can be very dangerous.

''We need to cross those barriers - don't feel arrogant or superior, but get involved in making them feel part of the community,'' he said.

The whole community had a part to play, from employers and retailers and schools, he added.

Dr Rupert Tipples, associate professor in employment relations at Lincoln University, said research conducted by the university and OneFarm, the centre of excellence in farm business management, showed that New Zealand was only beginning to understand the social impacts of increased immigration in smaller rural communities.

The research identified issues and recommendations on how to predict and alleviate problems before they escalated.

 

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