By Martha Taumata
More than 600 RSE workers leaving in groups to New Zealand starting with a chartered flight out today are doing so with firm resolves to ‘keep eyes away from women’.
The Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s ‘tongue-in-cheek’ directive bounced off in a roar of guilty laughter from the large group of selected workers at the TATTE Convention Centre last week.
The Government leader was right on the mark as far as RSE workers Tavita Leilua and Samu Piki, are concerned.
Both are from the Vaitele residential area and are again being recruited under the work scheme.
“It is true what the PM said, we see a lot of pretty women when we go shopping where we live and yes it is a temptation,” Tavita Leilua admitted with a sheepish smile.
“But it is difficult for me to tell as most of the guys in our group have wives and children and are always on the phone talking to families in Samoa and making sure to send home money all the time.”
Samu Piki denied straight out as a married man any straying eyes for the beautiful women of New Zealand.
“I don’t know what goes on with our unmarried guys but for us the married ones we stay far away from temptations,” Samu Piki assured.
He does agree with what the PM raised and has heard the talk in other groups but not in his.
The Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi blasted a mix of fatherly advise and scolding to impress on the RSE workers group the standout reputation Samoa enjoys from the organisers of the regional scheme and the farmers.
The lighthearted moment served as a serious reminder to local workers contracted for farm work in New Zealand to be at their best behaviour, work hard and behave smart.
Infidelity is a serious headache for Government for the disruptions it causes on the families at home.
The problem is compounded when it starts to carry over to poor work performance
“We have wives who cry to Government for help when husband don’t send money home for their care,” PM Tuilaepa boomed.
“Government does not need that because it can lead to a bad reputation for us and affect work opportunities for other workers.”
Tuilaepa told the large group that women are bad distractions to their work and will lead to all kinds of complications with the work and the families at home.
Samoa is allocated 800 workers out of the 2000 approved under the RSE programme for recruitment from all the island members registered in the scheme.
Government is going all out to keep the good reputations as a recruitment island.
The 624 workers leaving this week are divided into two traveling groups flying out separately with the last one scheduled this coming Thursday 21 January 2021.
The remaining workers to complete the full recruitment allocation for Samoa are still being finalised.
