[?] Unskilled Wages

Are Low

An Appeal to Governor

SUVA, July 1.

HE living standards of un skilled workers in Fiji have been receiving the personal at- Ition of the Governor (Sir laid Garvey) since a deputation presenting the Fiji Industrial :rrkers Congress waited upon him jeral weeks ago.

It is believed that the Govern mt is anxious to improve the iition of the workers, but hesitates take any hasty action which l?ht tend to further raise the cost living. It is the problem of in ion, which now is plaguing every ministration in the world. ?he FIW Congress represents ien of the nine registered labour .ons in Fiji—covering mines, ar industry, public works, com ircial firms, seamen, air trans t, and timber industry. The K)0-odd wage-labourers in the

Colony include Fijians, Indians, and other Islanders.

The deputation appealed to the Governor for a fair living wage, and for action under the following head ings : The urgent establishment of facil ities for higher technical training in the Colony so that employees may qualify themselves for better positions: Pension schemes for aged and in firm; An extensive housing programme for working people; An increased number of paid holi days; Country cost-of-living bonus to be based on country cost-of-living index.

The largest employer in the Colony is the Government and most other employers follow Government practice in labour conditions.

The deputation presented figures, taken from Government statistics, to show the following: Average cost of feeding a nurse in a Government hospital; European £2 14 3 Fijian 1 16 7 Indian 1 13 4

Average cost of feeding a hospital patient: European £2 13 0 Fijian 1 7 7 Indian 1 4 8 Since 1939, the country cost-of living index has risen by 196 per cent., but the minimum wage has increased only from 4/- per day to 7/8 per day for sugar workers, and to 7/10 for Public Works Depart ment labour. This represents £2/0/6 per week and £2/3/1 respectively, for the respective number of hours worked —44 and 48. The deputation pointed out that under these con dotions, it is impossible to provide adequately for emergency, education of children, sickness, old age, etc.

Heading Congress in its fight for better conditions is “the father of unions” in Fiji, Pandit Ami Chandra MA, founder and principal of the DAY (Indian) College, Samabula, a cultured, mild-mannered man, respected alike by employers and labourers. Of him the Commis sioner of Labour recently said: “All who have been associated with him must recognise him as a man of the highest ideals and integrity. His work for the trade union movement has been selfless, and his motives and methods are in striking con trast to those of certain demagogues whose names have figured promin ently in the trade union field over seas. Pandit Ami Chandra has shown great wisdom in the guid ance he has given to young unions.

He worked untiringly for the improvement of workers’ conditions, and at the same time he has pre ferred to achieve his ends by patient negotiations and persuasion rather than by fiery oratory or direct action.”

When Pandit Ami Chandra and Congress raise a matter with the employers there is invariably good ground for supposing there are strong arguments to support it; and employers react accordingly. Labour employer relations consequently are of the best in Fiji. But, under pre sent conditions, the landless labourer does seem to be working close to the bread line.