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  Issue No 33 Official Organ of LaborNet 01 October 1999  

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International

The Wisdom of Solomon

By Sarah Fitzpatrick - IFBWW South Pacific

A disturbing case from the Pacific where corporate lawyers are playing a deadly game.

In the Solomon Islands the lawyers for the Earthmovers Inc continue to keep the workers in the courts - even though each decision over the last two years has been in the workers' favour. Meanwhile, at least one child has died of malnutrition.

Striking workers are without food for their families. With support from many unions and organisations in Australia and around the region, the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers has been able to provide subsistence level supplies and many people have established small food gardens.

Even these small gardens are problematic. Most of the workers are Malaitams who have come to the main island of Guadalcanal so many are planting on other people's customary land. As the economic situation in the Solomon Islands comes under pressure there is mounting ethnic tension which recently erupted into violence.

The striking workers are asking for a new collective agreement and for an increase of 11.8% on the US25c per hour they were paid by the Malaysian company which sends round logs directly our of the Solomon Islands. The company is logging virgin forests. It pays minimal tax and royalties. No wonder they are opposing trade unionism.

The impact of the nearly two year long strike is being felt by over 400 families. In the early stages, SINUW reached agreement with many schools to waive fees because education is not freely provided in the Solomon Islands. Children are paying the price of Earthmovers Inc unwillingness to recognise the union and to pay even the little more the workers are asking. Many of the children are now out of school. The company can calculate freely on there being extra pressure on the workers from families who are in desperate straits, seeing their children's' need. Family units suffer under such pressure. Domestic violence can increase, there can be calls to forget the long term gains of trade unionism and go for the short fix.

In a range of tactics, Earthmovers Inc had evicted many workers from even the slum houses they previously inhabited. Management has been "cleaned out" so many Malaysian workers have left the country - and they have left behind the Solomon Islander women whom they had taken as wives - and the children they had fathered. The very basis of local culture had been attacked. An old man died in one of the logging camps. This company worth millions and millions of dollars would not pay for the body of the elderly worker to be taken back to his home for burial.

The company has been able to afford this long battle because, with the Asian economic crisis, prices were down and it had a massive stockpile of logs to move.

The company can afford it. The children, families and workers can not.

Australians are ranged on both sides of the legal battles. Earthmovers Inc have been employing expensive high profile barristers and solicitors. There are many rumours of bribery and pressure on local officials in the Solomon Islands.

Now, Stephen Howells and Judith Bornstein, barristers form Melbourne are volunteering support for the workers, Labour lawyers Orm Thomas and Bob Whyburn are representing SINUW and have, together with the CFMEU, been fundraising to help cover costs and provide food.

Many union within Australia have contributed to help supply food and basic medical supplies over the past two years. The International Federation of Building and Wood Workers to which SINUW is affiliated wishes to thank all those who have responded to its call for solidarity.


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*   Issue 33 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: The Boys
Labor Party heavyweights Eric Roozendaal and Damian O'Connor will lock horns this weekend. They fire their first shots.
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*  Economics: Reasons to Be Cheerful
Can we change the way we look at the economy to better reflect community happiness and well-being?
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*  Unions: Breaking the Wave
ACTU President's submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Act.
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*  International: The Wisdom of Solomon
A disturbing case from the Pacific where corporate lawyers are playing a deadly game.
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*  History: Groundhog Day
Ghosts of Conferences past: some strangely familiar debates and decisions from previous state ALP conferences
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*  Legal: Bad, Bad Things
Some of Australia's leading industrial lawyers argue that the Workplace Relations Act breaches basic international obligations.
*
*  Review: Tailing Out
As the BHP steelworks close in Newcastle a special book chronicles the stories of working live that have just become history.
*
*  Satire: Police Cut-Backs Lead To Drop In Organised Crime
An audit of the NSW Police has revealed that they have been seriously cutting back their operating budgets to ensure that they will be able to afford the increased security costs of the Olympics.
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*  Work/Time/Life: It's Official: Aussies Work Harder
Australians continue to work long hours in contrast to a world-wide trend in industrialised countries that has seen hours at work remaining steady or declining in recent years.
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News
»  Station Cuts Derailed - But More Hits for the Scull
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»  Social Audit Backed by Community Groups
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»  Unions Take Common Priorities to State Conference
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»  Simmering Discontent Hits Boiling Point
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»  Public Sector Job Numbers Rubbery
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»  Timor Protest to be Dumped in Reith Wave
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»  Big Lunch Break for Stress-Free Day
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»  Arch Apologises for Youth Wage Debacle
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»  Clean Air Policy Up In Smoke
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»  Child Carers Stretched to the Limit
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»  Building Workers Won�t Settle for Half Pay
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»  Life, Art and Politics
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Columns
»  Guest Report
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»  Sport
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Piers Watch
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Letters to the editor
»  More Transport News!
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»  A Meaningful Contribution
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»  Life is Cheap
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»  Short Shots - Richo, Reithy
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