Brings Big Sigh Of

New Labour Council Brings Big Sigh Of Relief In Fiji

From a Suva Correspondent The formation in Fiji in Sep al her of a Joint Industrial

luncil as negotiating machinery

r the Fiji Government and its

►n-salaried workers might seem

ordinary sort of event. It isn’t. f was an achievement which probably averted bloodshed in ; Colony.

At long last, after two years of •rry. argument, recriminations and gotiations, a formula has been md to solve a problem which has devilled industrial relations in wernment circles.

Partners in the new JIC are the wernment, the Public Employees’ lion and the Fijian Government jrkers’ Union.

Fhe two unions for Government rkers were created by racialism.

Fhe Public Employees’ Union, med in 1948, largely through the of Mr. Mohammed Ramzan, braced all workers, Fijian and lian. employed by the Government.

Led by Mr. Ramzan, the Colony’s •st experienced trade union leader 0 has had considerable tuition jrseas. the union had established strong position as a bargainer.

Fijian Breakaway

Jut that position was greatly akened about two years ago when Fijians, who complained they re being swamped by the union’s lian members, broke away and med their own.

Originally a splinter group, it idly attracted almost all the Fijian vernment workers. Added impetus 1 given to its recruiting campaign en constitutional issues became Colony’s top talking point.

Sacked by almost half the Govern nt workers, the Fijian Union ed for bargaining status and 3ped a log of claims in front of then Director of Public Works. . John Common. bargaining status was refused. - Government wanted the one on. There was a lot of haggling, lot of threats and much shilly llying by the Government.

Most of this went on in secret.

There was little publicity in the Press, save for the publication of a demand by the Fijian Union for a satisfactory reply to its request for recognition.

Industrial Expert

A date early this year was named as the deadline. This passed, but before the situation could explode— as it might have done—the Govern ment sought outside help.

The British Government sent an industrial relations expert, Mr. E.

Barber, to Fiji who succeeded where everyone else had failed.

Recognition, as complete as that

enjoyed by the older union, the Public Employees’ Union, has been given to the Fijian Government Workers’

Union.

The older union has generously withdrawn its opposition to the breakaway body, and the JIC has been formed.

The Governor, Sir Derek Jakeway, recognised the importance of the formation of the council by opening its inaugural session on September 22.

His speech and those of Govern ment and union representatives left no one in doubt that a big sigh of relief has gone up all round at the successful launching of the council.