Strike In Fiji

Nadi Airport Workers Have A Week Off

Suva, Nov. 3.

yLTHEN the New Zealand Public Works ▼ T Department, the largest single em ployer of labour at Nadi Airport, dismissed a Fijian and an Indian, 220 of the 375 local employees went on strike.

The hold-up lasted a week, during which the essential services were maintained by non-striking personnel, and Europeans from the staffs of the various organisa tions operating at the airport.

The two dismissed men were a Fijian assistant cook, and an Indian power house worker. The Nadi Aerodrome Workers’ Union maintained that the men had been dismissed unjustly.

The Unionists on strike included Fijians, part-Europeans, Indians and Chinese. The Union’s joint secretaries are both Indians, as is the legal adviser.

The Commissioner of Labour (Mr. C. S.

Reay) flew to Nadi on the first day of the strike. Mr. Reay is reported to be an earnest supporter of trade union ism in Fiji; but there is no indication that he got anywhere with his equally earnest unionists at Nadi. Tind he re turned to Suva with the end of the strike still not in sight.

The end was announced on November 1, but beyond an unofficial report that one of the dismissed men had been re instated there has been no statement on the terms of the settlement.

Mr. A. G. McCown, of Ovalau, Fiji, re turned to the Colony from USA in October. He said there was great in dustrial unrest in America and a large amount of unemployment.

The Rev. and Mrs. E. V. Newman, of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, plan to leave Tonga at the end of the year, after four years’ service. Church mem bers in Tonga have sent a message to the Methodist Mission Board in Sydney, speaking in warmest terms of the work Mr. Newman and his wife have performed during their stay in the Kingdom.