Puataunofo Manukau Pilot Project
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Work Health and Safety Issues and Pacific People
E gase le pa'a i lona vae
When a crab is caught it is pierced with its own leg (Samoan)
The following information provides the rationale for the development of the Puataunofo project.
The National Picture
The 2006 Census estimates there are 266,000 people of Pacific ethnicity living in New Zealand making up approximately 6.9% of the New Zealand population.
There are more than 8 different Pacific communities in New Zealand - each with its own distinctive culture, language, history and labour market status. The biggest Pacific groups in New Zealand are the Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, Niue, Fijian, and Tokelauan communities.
Statistics outline that there are 93,500 Pacific people employed in the labour market.
Industries and Occupations
In the year 2006, 64% of Pacific peoples were employed in service-related industries. The most common single industry for Pacific peoples to be employed in was manufacturing, at 24%.
The occupations of Pacific workers tend to be low-skilled: plant and machine operators and assemblers, service and sales and elementary. In 2006, 68% of Pacific peoples were employed in either semi-skilled or low-skilled occupations compared to 49% for non-Pacific peoples. [Household Labour Force Survey, Statistics New Zealand]
Workplace Injuries
In 2006, the second highest rate for workplace injury claims were from Pacific peoples (149 per 1,000 FTEs). This reflects their over-representation in more dangerous occupations. See Appendix 15.
| Ethnic group | Number of claims | Rate per 1,000 FTEs |
|---|---|---|
| European | 162,900 | 114 |
| Maori | 29,400 | 165 |
| Pacific peoples | 12,900 | 149 |
| Other (including Asian) | 24,500 | 133 |
| Total | 235,200 | 126 |
Notes: (1) Data is provisional (2) Total includes ethnicity not specified
Youth
According to the Department of Labour, Pacific youth will make up an increasing proportion of the New Zealand population and future workforce. Statistics New Zealand projects that Pacific people are expected to make up 11.7% of the population aged 15-29 in 2021 (compared with 8.1% for all age groups). Because of their younger age profile, the share of Pacific people in the workforce is expected to grow faster than their share of the population.
The contribution of Pacific peoples to the working-age population is expected to grow from 6.0% in 2001 to 8.5% in 2021 compared with an increase in their share of the New Zealand population from 6.7% to 9.1%. [Statistics New Zealand]
Young people aged 15-24 have the second highest incidence of ACC claims at 149 per 100,000 FTEs compared with 126 (and DoL estimate this is even higher, 175, for age 15-19). There is a particularly high risk correlation for young Pacific workers, working in Auckland, who work with machinery. See Appendix 16.