Five strikes and "more coming"

In an exceptional wave of employment disputes, Caledonian workers in April staged their fifth strike this year.

The latest stopwork, on April 17, involved an estimated 3,000 public servants and resulted in the paralysing of all administrative activity for the day. There were no classes in primary schools, Customs and post offices were closed, public works employees downed their tools. Only an emergency security service was maintained.

The strike followed a four-point log of claims lodged last December with Governor Louis Verger. The public servants were demanding a minimum pay rise of 4,000 CEP (SUS4O) per month and improved medical benefits. They were also calling for a housing allowance for Caledonian employees, in view of the housing facilities already provided for public servants coming from metropolitan France. tv/t- d i , jr „ c r ‘ , .jk?? p^r 6n ’Q Secretary-

ployees’ Union 6 sL.ed C‘lf

strike. Minimum wage in (65 cents Amt 1 ?5 CF? h v cenis /\usi.j.

The public service strike of April 17 was less than one month after Governor Louis Verger had made his appeal, after returning from Paris talks, for “unity of work and effort” to develop the island’s future.

Other strikes this year began with the eight-day stoppage at the Societe Le Nickel in January. This resulted in a SUS29O bonus for 1969, among other benefits to workers, Next to strike were the primary school teachers on March 2. Theii dispute, over a sudden change pro posed in school hours, is now under negotiation between teachers, parents and the education department, Secondary school teachers struck shortly afterwards. They were pro testing over an education department decision not to extend the term of a metropolitan French teacher after three years in the territory. (Ironic all Y, metropolitan public servants re ceive significant financial benefits for the “inconvenience” of coming to Noumea, but if they are prepared to strike in order to be sent out again after their first leave home in France, conditions in New Caledonia cannot * S^ence^" 8 ‘°° food . n was a strike o£ bakery employees on Sunday, April 5. Cale donians are accustomed to calling at their local bakeries twice a day, Sun day included, to collect their fresh long loaf of “wife-beater”, The brief bread strike was thus probably the most inconvenient for the bon vivants Caledonians.