Fiji Government

Answers Organised Labour

Prom Our Own Correspondent SUVA. August 15.

A deputation from the Fiji In dustrial Workers Congress which was received by the Governor of Fiji at the end of April, (see PIM, July p. 19), was in mid-July given the Government attitude towards the matters raised, in a letter from the Acting Colonial Secretary.

The Government, said the letter, was fully in agreement with Congress that unskilled labour’s standard of living was low. It considered that there was no point in initiating an inquiry into this matter as the facts were acknow ledged. Government was in full agreement that the standards should be raised, but, “a country can only spend what it earns, and in the same way the wages which any industry or employer can afford to pay must depend on the earning capacity of the employees using the machinery placed at their disposal. The same conditions apply to Government employment.

The Government revenues are obtained by a tax on the pro duction, whether in wages or in kind, of the Colony”, It was Government policy to leave wage fixing etc. to collective bargaining, where the workers were effectively organised. In other cases, wage fixing would be considered only when wages were unreasonably low in relation to the general wage level.

The Government was satisfied that a general improvement in real wages could only come about through increased productivity which, it said, is very low in Fiji— lower than before the war. * The Government would improve facilities for technical training, and was examining the possibility of incentives in the form of piece or task-work, in its own enterprises, It was considered that one of the most valuable functions that Congress could perform was to make constructive proposals for securing increased productivity The Government felt that Social Security Schemes involved redistri bution of wealth on a significant scale and that before such redis tribution could be practicable, suf ficient wealth must have been created. Moreover, it must be re distributed without reducing in ce£ulve e^ and investment.

There was, however, no reason why individual trade unions should not negotiate with their employers , t* l ® institution of provident fund schemes, provided workers were prepared to contribute to these from

their wages.

Government agreed that present

cost-of-living indices needed re vision, but did not agree that they operated to the disadvantage of workers. A new survey was being discussed.

Legislation to extend paid holi days cannot be introduced although the matter was being considered for Government employees. Else where the matter was one of col lective bargaining.

If the Legislature voted the necessary funds, Government would be willing to send a representative of Congress to the UK for further education in trade union organisa tion and practice.

The Government was consider ing the reconstruction of the Labour Advisory Board to include repre sentatives of Congress, and to have the Board meet more frequently to keep Government in closer touch with Labour and its problems.

H Mrs. Page, widow of the late Mr.

Harold Page, Government Secre tary in Rabaul before the war, re turned to Sydney in July, after a few months’ residence at the Bainings, New Guinea.

II Mr. and Mrs. V. J. Shearwin left BSIP, on pre-retirement leave, by the September Malaita. Mr. Shear win assumed duty in the Protec torate in February, 1926, as Third Clerk and Customs Officer; and, in the course of his service, he has occupied at one time and another every position in the BSIP Treasury, including the Treasurer ship on several occasions. He was one of the original members of the Tulagi Club, and an original mem ber of the Guadalcanal Club. Mr. and Mrs. Shearwin (says our Honiara correspondent) leave many friends in the Solomons and both will be much missed.