Fiji Authority Offsets Dockers’ Wage Rise

The Ports Authority of Fiji moved quickly to recover higher costs following a rise in wages granted to dock workers by Mr Ramanlal Kapadia, who was arbitrator in a dispute between the authority and dock workers. A rise of 10% in the pay of permanent dockers, plus an extra $4 a week as a containerised cargo allowance, was expected to send the annual wages bill of the authority up to $1.65 million from $1.5 million The authority imposed an extra $1 levy on each tonne of cargo

handled on overseas ships. That in crease, with better use of port facili ties, would make the increase in overhead costs insignificant.

To cover the cost of a mechanisa tion allowance of $4 a week and 75c for casual dockers, the container levy was increased from $1 to $1.50 a tonne and the pallet levy from 30c to 50c a tonne, The effect of Mr Kapadia’s award was to increase the weekly wage of a permanent registered docker from $4B to $54 and the actual average from $55 to $66.53.