Strikers return to work
THE Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) was ordered by Agriculture Minister Ratu Viliame Dreunamisimisi to accept all stale green and burnt cane held up when mill workers staged a strike in 1993.
A report in The Fiji Times on Thursday, October 2, 1993 stated he said all such cane was to be delivered by the following Monday under the ministerial directive issued after the strike was called off.
The order was issued under Section 9 of the Fiji Sugar Corporation Act and after consultation with the Parliamentary Sugar Select Committee.
The loss to the corporation was estimated at $150,000 based on 20,000 tonnes of burnt and green cane that farmers would be compensated for, according to National Farmers Union then general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry.
All striking workers of the four sugar mills returned to work after the corporation agreed to meet their demands for security and walkie talkies.
The 18-day strike ended about 1.15am, when an agreement was reached between the Fiji Sugar and General Workers Union and the corporation after 17 hours of deliberations.
The Lautoka Penang and Labasa mills resumed crushing while the Rarawai mill was unable to because of a shortage of cane supply.
The report stated that jubilant striking workers at Lautoka demanded to see union general secretary Felix Anthony first when ordered back to work.
As Mr Anthony approached them at the strike site, they hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him in a triumphant march to the entrance of the Lautoka mill.
Mr Anthony said the workers were pleased with the agreement and were waiting for the results of the tribunal hearing impatiently.
He said the union had been forced to call a strike for the security of its members.
“This security problem has existed for the past 10 years and nothing has been done about it,” he said.
Mr Chaudhry said he was pleased that all cane were now accepted by the corporation, and thanked Ratu Viliame for the initiative he had taken.
“This decision should please the farmers. Any other grievance of the cane farmers would be directed to the Sugar Cane Growers Council or the National Farmers Union,” he said.
Mr Chaudhry suggested the setting up of a tripartite conciliation committee to deal with disputes before they go to the tribunal.
The dispute caused by the assault of a Nadi locomotive driver by a member of a harvesting gang escalated and then led to workers from all four mills walking off in sympathy.
Under the agreement, the corporation would provide a security officer with a vehicle equipped with a radio telephone at each mill district, except Seaqaqa, within seven days.
The officer would be on duty from 6pm to 6am;
Install walkie talkies in all locomotives; and
An advance of $75 per striking employee and those stood down at Lautoka mill to be repaid and deducted from their wages at a rate of $15 a week.
The general issue of security for locomotive crew was to be referred to an independent consultant for consideration.
The issue of the transfer of the Waqadra field officer, Jone Nakauvadra, and suspension of the harvesting gang, was to go before the tribunal on Wednesday for a second hearing.
Sugar Commission chairman Gerald Barrack, who brokered the agreement, said it was a give and take by both the parties which resulted in the agreement.
“I hope that the tribunal reaches a decision as quickly as possible,” he said.
This decision should please the farmers. Any other grievance of the cane farmers would be directed to the Sugar Cane Growers Council or the National Farmers Union
– Mahendra Chaudhry