[?] Ugar Industry

[?]ent Irresponsible Strikes

[?] Ed Influence In Fiji

There was a bad strike among Fiji’s sugar mill workers , Lautoka and Ba last December; and, in the course of it, msiderable lawlessness and hooliganism occurred.

E circumstances were such that he hooligans and rioters should lave been sternly dealt with le police, and made to realise formal agreements, formally >ted and put into legal form, be observed. tead, the Government dealt irly with the strikers and in -1 them to go back to work, on omise that the circumstances unding the strike should be ined by a Special Commis r. in the person of the Chief ze (Sir Ragnar Hyne). 3 special circumstances which Ragnar especially examined rned the outcome of two pre strikes; and in one of them was made of the strikers’ tions to the continued em lent of two sirdars, or Indian len. ; CSR ended the second strike omising that one of their lead ;xecutives would enquire into charge against the sirdars, inquiry was made. The CSR (Mr. J. M. Aitken) found ng against one sirdar, but sted that the conduct of the was such that it might be ible to put him in other em lent. This was done, vever the third strike ce il, attended by considerable ier, and led by obscure people union officials —and at first 3 impossible to learn the cause. , the men claimed that they dissatisfied with the CSR Cos. ons regarding the sirdars. ; Chief Justice was authorised to enquire into the latter irs. If his references had been , more valuable information ; have been obtained about actors causing unrest. ; Chief Justice’s report to the :nor, dated January 17, com y supported the enquiry and igs of CSR Co’s Executive —the i of the CSR Cos. was entirely nable, and the action taken le Cos. quite adequate, i Chief Justice, in forthright tage, indicates his opinion that tion to the sirdars actually not the cause of the third ■ in December —he points out the subject of the sirdars was irought into the picture by the ;rs until quite late in the piece: do not believe that the real 1 of the second strike was the act of the sirdars. It has been

made to appear that their conduct was the reason, but I am quite convinced that the reason goes much deeper; and I agree with the submissions of counsel that the sirdars were merely chosen to divert attention from what are the real reasons for the strike.”

The Commissioner then goes on to present certain facts which clearly indicate that there has been active communication between some members of the Mill Workers Union and the official Communist Party.

He especially quotes statements in articles in the Melbourne Communist paper of December 12 and the Sydney Communist paper of December 18.

The situation therefore is left thus: There appears to have been no justification for the strike in December and there is no call upon the CSR Cos. to do anything more in relation to the sirdars than has been done already. The strike was

called by irresponsible mischief makers.

This in turn means that no fur ther action need be taken by any one to placate the mill-workers, who struck in December and who went back to work on the condition that the enquiry by special com missioners was held.

It has been noted that a son of a prominent Communist trade union official is a member of the crew of the CSR Co’s ship Rona, and the possibility that he main tains contact with Fiji sugar-mill workers is being investigated.

A close observer of recent events in Fiji sugar industry writes under date March 1: “I forecast a lot of trouble in the sugar industry this season. If these irresponsible elements remain in control of the union, and if (as seems clear) they are taking in structions from Australian Com munists, there is likely to be a series of rolling strikes which may be more disastrous than a straight out fight.”

The responsibility is placed squarely in the lap of the Govern ment of Fiji. There need be no fur ther trouble if (a) the Government shows the necessary strength in dealing with the irresponsible and hoodlum elements among the sugar mill workers of northwest Fiji and (b) sees that the Fiji police are properly instructed and efficiently directed, especially in relation to subversive activities.