Fiji Salary Plan Unpopular

Mills Plan Being Considered By Council

X Tttn , Suva. Oct. 9.

HE newly-assembled Legislative Coun cil of Fiji, after meeting on October 3, adjourned until October 12 while the unofficial members in committee re view the Mills report on the revision of Civil Service salaries and the Govern ment’s proposed amendments to the re port.

It is common knowledge, and is openly admitted by the Government, that the Civil Service is almost unanimous in its opposition to the salary plan and to many of the departmental rearrangements sug gested by Mr. E. Mills, who visited Fiji this year as Salaries Commissioner.

The Government’s proposals have met with little more success, and it is known that the Civil Servants’ organisations re cently sent what is believed to be virtually an appeal for help to the powerful Civil Servants’ organisation in Great Britain The Government is thus in a sticky situation. On the one hand there is rapidly increasing discontent in the Civil Service in the face of Fiji’s cost of living, which, in the last few months, has made more than one spectacular leap; and at the same time it is clear that Fiji is out of the running when competing for quali fied technical and other officers—des perately needed in many branches from overseas—and is already losing valuable men who are lured away by better pay and conditions elsewhere.

On the other hand, there is the ques tion of Fiji’s ability to foot the bill. (The Mills report, although heartily condemned by most of the Civil Service, proposes an additional £70,000 a year, including the in corporation of the present cost-of-living

allowance salary).