Senator Satele Lili’o shared at a Senate hearing yesterday, problems that villages are experiencing with the guest worker program that allows StarKist to expedite the hiring of citizens of Samoa to fill jobs at the cannery.
He said while there’s a law, the fact that family Matais and Pulenu’u are not part of the review and approval process for the guest workers, has resulted in problems in villages.
And these were brought to the fore when StarKist Samoa closed down and the guest workers did not have any means of earning a living.
Testifying at the hearing of the Senate Immigration Committee yesterday, were the Chair of the Immigration Board Fanene Edda Wyberski and Deputy Attorney General Roy JD Hall Jr.
As explained by Hall, the guest worker law allows the cannery to hire needed workers from Samoa on a fast track basis not possible under the normal process.
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Under the law, the Immigration Board does not have any role in the review or approval process.
Senator Satele said since there’s no involvement of village officials or Samoan Affairs in the review process, they cannot monitor or police these workers.
He said the normal immigration process for foreigners to stay with their sponsor for a year and provide tautua, before they are allowed to work, ensures they become part of village activities. But with the guest worker law, this is eliminated so there’s no monitoring mechanisim as the Pulenu’u dont know the guest workers.
He said the guest workers don’t participate in village affairs and dont even go to church.
According to Satele, when the cannery closed for two weeks the workers were wandering around trying to survive.
Another concern Satele raised was regarding StarKist employees testing positive at the cannery and how they may be spreading COVID in villages where they’re staying, and Pulenu’u cannot monitor or control them.
Senator Malaepule Saite Moliga was concerned about liabilities for the government, since it’s the government allowing the guest worker program in situations where a guest worker gets in trouble with the law or is injured on the job.
Hall explained that StarKist, as the immigration sponsor, is responsible for all costs incurred by the guest worker. For injuries on the job, they are covered under the cannery’s workman’s compensation.
