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Issue No. 184 | 27 June 2003 |
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To the Victors The Spoils
History: Nest of Traitors Interview: A Nation of Hope Unions: National Focus Safety: The Shocking Truth Tribute: A Comrade Departed History: Working Bees Education: The Big Picture International: Static Labour Economics: Budget And Fudge It Technology: Google and Campaigning Review: Secretary With A Difference Poetry: The Minimale Satire: Howard Calls for Senate to be Replaced by Clap-O-Meter
Politics The Soapbox Media The Locker Room
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News Tipping the Turtle – Fijian Style
For the last two years the owner and chief manager of the resort, Richard Evanson, has done everything in his power to deny workers the right to a union of their choice. Now the workers are getting serious, with a Fijian court this week commencing an inquiry into why the owner has not complied with Ministry of Labour orders to recognize their right to bargain collectively through a union of their choice. While the resort is billed as paradise, workers' receive wages as low as Fiji$1.65 (A$1.35) an hour, about F$66 per week, which is below the Fijian poverty line. Tips are not paid to workers; rather guests pay a single large recommended 'tip' in US dollars (US$400 for a week's stay) to a staff 'fund', but workers only receive about F$6 per week from the fund. They are fired for joining a union, while union members are denied access to their representatives. The attitude of management is clear - they would not even talk with National Union of Tourism, Catering and Hotel Industry Employees until 48 hours before investigations were to begin in court concerning their failure to meet their legal obligation. In an interview given to Radio Australia on the 20 June 2003, general manager of the resort Rob Besford claimed: "Well, I went along to start negotiations [on 18 June] on their log of claims and they suddenly produced a new document they wanted us to sign prior to commencing those negotiations. It was a document that was totally illegal, that is not required by law." "The document being referred to is a Memorandum of Agreement on union recognition," Timoce Naivaluwaqa, General Secretary of the National Union of Catering, Hospitality and Tourism Industries Employees told Workers Online. "This is a standard industry document that NUTCHIE has signed with numerous employers across Fiji. Clearly, to call it illegal in an international broadcast is in total bad faith and dishonest." NUTCHIE has resolved to continue its struggle on trade union recognition at Turtle Island Resort and through its national centre, the FTUC, and its international federation, the IUF, will continue to campaign for this right. Email the managers and tell what you think about the workers treatment. Let slip you have a sly 1500 greenbacks and won't be spending it on Turtle Island until they clean up their act [email protected]
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