- Government: We won’t let sugar industry collapse
- Union: 67.5% voted
By JYOTI PRATIBHA
The Bainimarama Government has stressed given the investment it has made in the sugar industry, it will not allow this critical industry to collapse.
This follows after the announcement that the Fiji Sugar and General Workers Union that members have voted in favour of a strike.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Industry and Trade, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said: “Given this enormous investment and the importance of this industry to the national economy, the Bainimarama Government cannot allow this industry to collapse because of the actions of a minority.
“We hope that common sense will prevail and the workers who have voted to go on strike will not do so.”
Union general secretary Felix Anthony, in a statement said a secret ballot was held last week and the votes have been in the favour of a strike.
“67.5 per cent of the membership voted, of which 90 per cent voted in favor of strike action. This fulfills the legal requirement for strike action,” he said.
The possible impact
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the Government’s chief concern is the 200,000 Fijians who depend on the sugar cane industry for their survival.
“We have made a substantial investment to rescue the industry from collapse,” he said.
He said this investment has begun to turn around the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC), without a single job being lost, and it is in the national interest for this to continue.
“We have also renewed more land leases, given confidence to farmers, and put more money into research, which has resulted in better yields,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“As a result of our reforms, FSC employees have received a 5.3 per cent pay rise and improved benefits.
“They can look forward to better job security and more opportunities as the FSC continues to improve its performance.”
Next course of action, demands
Mr Anthony said the National Executive Committee of the Union will now decide on the next course of action.
“Workers will not accept any bullying by management or the authorities any longer. Enough is enough,” he said.
Some 511 votes are said to have been cast, out of which 455 votes were in favour of a strike.
The Union is demanding a pay increase for mill workers – further to the 5.3 per cent they received earlier this month.
They are also demanding overtime payment for workers. FSC says this has already been implemented.
Mr Anthony said the vote in favour of a strike was sending a clear message to the authorities.
“Fiji needs to sell its sugar to the international community if the industry is to remain viable. Workers cannot make ends meet and put decent food on the table,” he said.
“These are families with children who are being denied a decent living.”