And Re-elect Non-Unionist President

Fiji Trade Unions Form Federation And Re-elect Non-Unionist President

SUVA, April 30. rRTIFIED by a message of be nignity from the Fiji Commis sioner of Labour (Mr. C. S. Reay), the Fiji Industrial Workers’ Congress has just completed its first annual meeting.

Some people see in this federation of Fijian. Indian and other trade unions a national calamity, that may lead to storms and stresses parallel with the upheavals that occur in Aus tralia, New Zealand, Great Britain and the United States. But there has been nothing as yet, in the sober, moderate and dignified conduct of the congress to cause alarm.

Mr. Reay’s message summed up the congress as “a logical develop ment of the trade union movement in the Colony,” which had his support. He added that the federation will be the proper channel for dis cussing with the Government (and with any federation of employers which may emerge) labour issues of general application.

The Commissioner strongly com mended the work of the first presi dent. Mr. Ami Chandra, MA, Dip, Ed. (NZ), a non-unionist “whose work for the trade union movement has been selfless and whose motives and methods are in striking contrast to those of certain demagogues whose names have figured prominently in the trade union field overseas.”

An indication of the growing pres tige of the federation was given by the secretary of the large and capably-organised Fijian Stevedores’

Union (I. N. Daveta), who said that it was likely that at its next general meeting his union would decide to join the federation.

Among the strong unions which have already linked up are the Fijian Mine Workers, the Public Works De partment Employees, the Chini Maz dur Sangh (Sugar Labour Union), the Fiji Airport Employees, the Fiji Tim ber Workers and the Commercial Employees.

Mr. Ami Chandra was re-elected president and two Fijian officials, Basilic Mata and Tomasi Vunisina, were elected vice-president and secre tary-treasurer respectively.

Apart from those inclined to panic prematurely, moderates of all races are likely to regard the development of the federation with varying degrees of sympathy. The Congress has taken up such questions as the basic

wage (if such a thing exists in Fiji), pay according to the value of work performed, the training of workers for higher positions, and the housing of workers.

The only people likely to be agitated by this opening of questions which for some ten years have been causing a good deal of underground ferment, are the minority groups, European and Asiatic, which favour

cheap labour, and hang the conse quences.

At present all the indications are that Fiji’s trade union set-up will stay firmly on the rails so long as it is met with reasonableness and toler ance.