As a Party to the PACER Plus Agreement, Niue is working closely with the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) to develop an intra-Pacific labour mobility pilot to address the country’s labour shortage.
Research Fellow at the Australian National University-Dr. Charlotte Bedford and Dr. Alisi Kautoke Holani- Labour Mobility Specialist were in Niue last week to commence the design of a short-term intra-Pacific labour mobility pilot to address labour needs in the health sector.
The pilot is part of a phased approach adopted by the Government of Niue in 2023 to address labour shortages that constrain long-term economic development in the country. Consultations with key stakeholders in Niue identified a critical need for aged care nurses hence the pilot will look at bringing in 5 aged care nurses to temporarily work in the Niue health sector for a period of 3-6 months. The pilot is to be launched in May 2024 and the Government of Niue is now working with the PPIU to develop an Inter-Agency Understanding to administer the pilot.
The pilot programme is anticipated to inform the design of a longer-term intra-Pacific labour mobility scheme for Niue. While the pilot will focus on the health sector, it is expected to potentially be replicated to address labour needs in other sectors. The PPIU is committed to working with key stakeholders in Niue as well as in the labour sending countries involved to ensure that Niue’s labour needs are addressed while also ensuring that the interests of workers and their countries of origin are safeguarded. In this regard, the PPIU will be providing support to the development of Niue’s labour and employment regulatory framework to provide a sustainable approach that delivers mutual benefits to both Niue and other Pacific labour sending countries involved to ensure that Niue’s labour needs are addressed while also ensuring that the interests of workers and their countries of origin are safeguarded.
In this regard, the PPIU will be providing support to the development of Niue’s labour and employment regulatory framework to provide a sustainable approach that delivers mutual benefits to both Niue and other Pacific labour sending countries.