Gaolings - And A Close

Look At Fiji’S Docks

The Fiji public was given an in sight into the working of the coun try’s port and the operations of the Waterside Workers’ and Seamen’s Union, during an arbitration hear ing into a number of claims by the union. Trouble on the wharf in July and August led to two strikes, and saw eight union leaders go to gaol for breaches of the industrial laws.

These were some of the facts to come out at arbitration: • The Pacific Line, in which the union has shares, made a profit of $l5O 000 in its last financial year; • Deductions of pay from water side workers from July, 1976, to June, 1977, totalled $134 769, of which $57 902 was in union fees and $76 866 in credit union contribu tions; • Suva dockworkers were paid for 40 hours a week, but for some time had been working less than 13 hours a week; • The port of Suva could handle 355 600 tonnes a year without more wharves (it was handling 284 480 tonnes a year at present); • Suva handled 163 800 tonnes of import cargo and 82 588 tonnes of export cargo in 1975, 233 400 tonnes of import cargo and 52 565 tonnes of export cargo in 1976. • The cost of handling cargo at Lautoka would increase by 486% if the union demand for a fixed pool of 350 men was granted; there was even no justification for the current labour pool of 100. • The Pacific Line was now carrying more than half the sea cargo moved between Fiji and NZ; • The Union Steam Ship Co of NZ, Pacific Line’s competitor on the route, raised freight rates by 10% in July, 1976, and by 12% in January, 1977; Pacific Line had increased its rates once only by 12% in Janu ary; During the hearing the director general of the Ports Authority, Mr Loh Heng Kee, said Fiji’s chance of becoming the chief trans-shipment port of the South Pacific would be endangered by restrictions on the handling of containers, as sought by the union.

He shared the fear of the union that more container traffic would

lead to a reduction in the number of men needed to handle cargo. For that reason the authority proposed to retrain dockers in packing and unpacking containers, repairing them and working at inland cargo stations. At present, about 20% of the cargo moving through Fiji ports was in containers, but the quantity would rise significantly in the next few years.

The authority had offered the union a three-year scheme to help to cushion the reduction of work caus ed by the arrival of more containers.

There would be a levy of $1 a tonne on container cargo and 30c a tonne on palletised cargo. The money would be paid to the dockers in esti mated amounts of $9B 000 in the first year, $165 000 in the second year and $220 000 in the third The union wanted retiring allowances in lump sums based on $2OO a year for each year worked. A docker is now paid $ 1 000 a year when he retires at 60. The Ports Authority is offering a sliding scale of allowances $1 100 for retirement at 60, $1 200 at 59, $1 300 at 58, $1 400 at 57, $1 500 at 56 and $1 600 at 55.

The union claimed the authority was trying to get rid of older workers. The union’s proposals were to help men who would leave with only a small amount of money in retirement and Fiji National Pro vident Fund benefits if they retired in the next few years.

The arbitrator, Mr Ramanlal Kapadia, was told that a minimum of $2.40 a week in union dues was high in relation to other unions, but the union replied that it paid out money for funeral expenses, school fees and other benefits. Gross earn ings quoted ranged from $4B a week to $77.50 a week. However, the top figure included overtime and work done on Sundays.

Taniela Veitata, industrial ad viser to the union, was gaoled for six months on each of four charges relating to the first strike. Apisai Vere, the union secretary, received similar terms on four charges, while Viliame Taufa, president, Eroni Serukalou, vice-president, Sakiusa Secake, Aisea Dralia, Aminiasi Vosi and Taito Rawaqa, members of the committee, each received six months on each of two charges. The terms were ordered to be served concurrently. Twenty-one other members of the union, headmen of dock gangs, were each given sus pended sentences on charges of hav ing taken part in an illegal strike.

The union was fined the maximum of $5OO on a charge of having engag ed in an unlawful strike.

The magistrate, Mr Kenneth Moore, was strongly critical of the union when he gaoled the six men.

He likened it to a rogue elephant on the rampage, saying it cared for no one but its members.

The dock union leaders were not the only ones before the court.

Seven officials of the Sugar and General Workers Union were charged with having disrupted the sugar industry. A strike of sugar workers at Lautoka spread to other mills. The men went on strike as a protest against the laying-off of 230 casual workers, and as a protest against the detention of Taniela Veitata. Crushing resumed at the mills four days after the strike at Lautoka. Among those charged was the union secretary, Apisai Tora.

Gaol sentences were not the end of the matter for Veitata, for further charges were preferred in relation to the second strike. He was allowed out of gaol to attend the arbitration proceedings on the order of the ar bitrator.