White Paper A labour plan for Marlborough’s growing wine industry. MARLBOROUGH’S WINE industry needs a set of core standards for employment, accommodation and pastoral care, according to a recently released White Paper. The report looks at the opportunities and challenges associated with the wine sector’s growth over the next five years, including the need for more accommodation, suitable pastoral care and the development of the labour force. Wine Marlborough General Manager Marcus Pickens says good labour practice and corporate responsibility are key to sustainable expansion, and he hopes a set of
White Paper work streams: Workforce planning and development Establishing good employment practices Development of suitable accommodation Ensuring pastoral care needs are met or exceeded Adoption of socially responsible and sustainable practices Communications and engagement
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standards will become part of supplier agreements for Marlborough wine companies. “This White Paper is about planning for the sector’s growth over the next five years. Best practice and a good reputation are vital to enabling that growth.” The paper is the work of a Labour Summit working group, which has representatives from Wine Marlborough, grape growers, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Marlborough District Council, Marlborough’s Primary Health Organisation and Splice Consulting. The group was established after a Labour Summit in July last year, where attendees spoke of the need for cross sector collaboration to ensure Marlborough’s wine industry can meet its growing labour requirements. According to a Labour Survey released by Wine Marlborough early last year, the industry is set to grow by 6444 hectares by 2020, requiring a 24% increase in worker numbers. Through its six work streams, the white paper looks at the need to attract school leavers, offer more training and career opportunities and relocate New Zealanders from other areas for
seasonal work. Marcus says the group is also keen to see employers extending seasonal roles into permanent positions, in order to attract and retain employees. It is hoped that each work stream will be led by relevant organisations, including the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, the Primary Industry Training Organisation (ITO), NMIT, Master Contractors, WorkSafe and Police, as well as those bodies represented in the steering group. In another attempt to improve labour practices, Wine Marlborough will supply its members with a chart to shed light on the necessary piece rate to meet the minimum wage. Marcus says the chart shows various rates multiplied by vine numbers, and can be used by growers as a guide to ensure workers are receiving their due. “It shows how many plants someone would have to do if this was the rate per vine, in order to hit minimum wage. We want to give information to the growers and remind them all growers have the obligation to work out how much workers on their property are achieving.”
