Striking Fiji Sugar Workers Bring Down

Irresponsible Dispute

Wrath Of Authority

STRIKING labourers brought sugar production to a standstill at three of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co.’s Fiji mills, from July 16 to July 18. The mills affected vere Lautoka, Ba and Rakiraki.

Labourers at the Labasa mill also vent on strike, but returned to vork 17 hours later. Altogether nore than 1,000 men were involved n the dispute.

The strike was entirely unofficial md was not endorsed by the xecutive of the union concerned, he Fiji Sugar Industry Employees’

Association, also known as the Jhini Mazdur Sangh.

The Governor of Fiji, Sir Ronald Jarvey, referred to the strike in his ddress to the Legislative Council he following week, and did not lince his words in flaying the men oncerned.

He said: “A reprehensible feature f the incident was that the strike Dcurred without notice and was not uthorised by the constitutionally lected leaders of the union, who ad just reached an agreement with

the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, which was repudiated— without notification of any kind— by union members”.

They did this without, apparently, a thought for the care of the plant and machinery, worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds, on which their employment as well as the economy of the Colony depended, both at present and in the future.

The men finally decided to return to work after a mass meeting at Lautoka. At the meeting it was decided to agree to compulsory arbitration.

The union negotiated its annual agreement with the CSR on Sunday, July 14. Under the agreement existing conditions were to be maintained, except for the following alterations: Wages would be increased by 2/6 a week; sick pay would be increased by 7d a day; annual paid holidays would be increased from seven to nine; camping allowance would be increased by 6d a night; and sugar

places S ° ld fortni ghtly at all The Acting Commissioner of Labour Mr J. a. C. Hill, ac companied by Mr. J. Amputch. a Labour Officer, went from Suva to Lautoka when the strike broke out to take part in settlement negotia tions. Mr. A. R. Rourke. chief

manager of the CSR in Fiji, also went to Lautoka.

Seventy police from Suva wen drafted to the affected areas as s precautionary measure.

In a statement issued after thi men returned to work Mr, Hill saidJ “No reasons were given for thii strike, which was unofficial and no countenanced by the executiv committee of the union.”

Weekly production at the thre Viti Levu mills is: Lautoka, 3,50 tons; Ba, 2,000 tons; Rakiraki, 70 tons.