We have a work force for this type of labour. Minimum security prisoners. Pay them min wage so it's not slave labour, and on a voluntary basis, but sweeten the deal to get them to volunteer.
If these workers can only work 30 hours they won’t come. The earnings from one season means they can buy a house in Timor or Vanuatu with their seasonal earnings.
This is a minimum average over a small scale. Most of these workers work far more hours and maximize money during the busy season, but lower hours during the shoulder season. It is just going to eliminate their ability to make money during those shoulder seasons because they will be brought over later and sent home sooner... Does not benefit the worker who would rather be sending a little money home in those shoulder weeks then working and sending no money home at all
Spoken like someone who has never worked in horticulture for any extended period. Some weeks will be less than 30 hours and most weeks will be many more for the contract periods. It fluctuates and if you don't have the workers there on the quieter weeks then you won't have the workers there to pick the fruit on the busier weeks. Nobody is arguing that the workers should not have the protection of minimum hours, the farmers just wanted average over four or eight weeks to account for weather concerns. Unless you have some clever way to prevent harsh weather events or think the workers should have to work in terrible weather conditions... My husband has worked in an orchard for the last 15 years and I can assure you that while most weeks are busy, he would much rather have a quiet week than work every day on a week with really bad weather
