Seamen

Wages Of Fijian

Why and How A Union Was Formed

Letter to the Editor A FEW months ago, you published cer tain remarks regarding the Fiji Seamen’s Union. Here are the facts: let your readers judge the matter for themselves.

In many instances, particularly in the smaller vessels in Fiji, native Fiiian sea men in 1947 were receiving the same wages as were paid many years ago, viz. £2/5/- to £3/5/- a month. The families of these seamen all have to live in Suva or Levuka, and anyone acquainted with the conditions and prices in those towns knows that a Fijian family cannot live on such an income.

Some employers have paid a more adequate wage, particularly in larger vessels, say up to £6 a month. These employers have had to compete for freights against those paying the lower wages. There was a complete lack of uniformity in the wages paid to native seamen by different employers. In many vessels there was no proper regulation of hours. There was the same lack of uni formity in this regard and also in the matter of payment for overtime. This same lack of uniformity existed in the matter of rations.

Some increases of wages were granted during the war, as a cost of living bonus, but these increases were by no means commensurate with the actual increase in the cost of living.

A large number of Fijians served in the Armed Forces during the war and these men came to realise that any ordered organisation was better than a haphazard one, and that it would be ad vantageous to all concerned if working conditions in the shipping industry were stabilised. Fijian seamen, on their own initiative, made representations to the Secretary for Fijian Affairs and the Commissioner of Labour. The leading shipowners were consulted and concurred in the view that the best method of ar riving at standard terms and conditions Df work was by the formation of a Union and the negotiation of an agreement.

Both these objects have been attained.

Your assumption that a body of sea men who were contented were being urged by “rose-pink gentlemen who now run the British Empire” to form a Union and thereby be capable of kicking up a row is not correct. Legislation had been passed facilitating the formation of unions. The seamen were not contented.

Thanks to the legislation and the wis

dom of the leading shipowners an amic able agreement now exists. The average wages payable to seamen now range be tween £4/10/- and £7/7/6 a month, ac cording to tonnage of vessel and pro portionately more for higher ratings.

Copra is the principal cargo carried in inter-insular vessels. This commodity has increased in price during the past year, from £l9 a ton to £37 a ton in round figures. It is not believed that any producer will seriously object to a few shillings a ton increase in freight to pay the seamen who carry the copra a living wage.

Finally, it is suggested that a more accurate view of this Union could have been presented to your readers had you made inquiries in Fiji from the Commis sioner of Labour and from the “Big Firms” you mentioned, all of which companies are parties to the agreement.

I am, etc.,

Luke R. Vukivuki,

Hon. Secretary, Fiji Seamen’s Union.

EDITORIAL NOTE: This letter was received in July. Owing to the phrase ology employed, we deemed it wise to make certain inquiries, before publishing the letter hence the delay. There is far more behind the recent organisation of trade unions among Pacific Islands workers than appears on the surface of such smoothly-worded communications as the foregoing recent events in the Cook Islands are an indication of that.

However, the above letter is published for

what it is worth. We shall deal, later on, with the whole subject of the activi ties of “Fellow Travellers” in the Islands.