Oil man wins 75 cents in reward pay
IN 1974, oil workers were the most highly paid hourlyrate employees in Fiji. This happened when they won a 25 per cent wage increase of 15c an hour after staging a week-long strike that resulted in 18-hours of intense negotiations with employers spread over two days.
The strike disrupted fuel supplies in many parts of Fiji and restricted bus and taxi service and travel.
After the pay rate increase supplies slowly returned to normal as workers went back to work within 24 hours. A 28-day essential services strike threat was also withdrawn.
Employers and workers’ union representatives bargained in Suva during the talks chaired by the acting Minister for Labour, Ratu David Toganivalu.
The Secretary for Labour, Mr Satyanand and Fiji Trades Union Congress executive, Mahendra Chaudhry, were also part of the talks.
The oil workers’ new minimum wage rate was 75c an hour backdated to January 1, The Fiji Times on Friday June 21, 1974 reported.
Also in 1974, Fiji’s next most highly paid hourly-rate employees were dockworkers, who received a minimum of 66c an hour.
The oil workers’ new agreement included cost of living adjustments on July 1 and October 1.
From July 1, the workers began working a 40-hour week at about 78.75c an hour. The oil workers were mainly tanker drivers, clerical staff and oil terminal attendants.
Once oil workers’ grievances were sorted, union representatives began a second round of negotiations with delivery contractors.
These negotiations had the potential to largely affect services through Mobiloil Australia Ltd which delivered its products through contractors.
Petrol, diesel and kerosene supplied from Shell Co (Pacific Islands Ltd) and British Petroleum South West Pacific Ltd in Suva and the Western Division were made available the morning after the strike with the first delivery petrol tankers leaving the depots soon after 7.30 a.m.
Many Suva Merchants reported having no stocks of kerosene for sale while those who had some were rationing it by selling in bottles.
Burns Philp still had 35 gallons of kerosene which it rationed in 26oz bottles. Some traders only allowed two or three bottles per customer.
Most owners cut supplementary trips to stretch out what little fuel they had left. Boat owners who got fuel from Princes landing could not get fuel for days and some of the stranded vessels served Kadavu and islands in the Lomaiviti Group.
Many housewives abandoned their kerosene stoves and started cooking in the open fire using firewood. Some switched off their kerosene refrigerators.