Union Leader Replies To Fijian Claims

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 16

Union Leader Replies To Fijian Claims

The secretary of the Fijian Government Workers’ Union (Mr Jope Kilailakeba) yesterday denied that he had said in a Fiji Broadcasting Commission interview that Fijians could earn up to £7OO in three months working for the North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Board, as was asserted last week by Mr Manasa Sauturaga, the leader of the Fijian workers’ group at Waiau.

Mr Kilailakeba also denied that Mr Sauturaga was a group leader.

“I will sue Mr Sauturaga for giving false information to the press about the £700,” said Mr Kilailakeba. in a radio-telephone call to “The Press” on Wednesday.

“I have a tape-recording of the broadcast explaining the conditions. The figure given was £4B a fortnight with overtime.”

Mr Sauturanga was given a copy of the New Zealand General Labourers’ Unions’ award to study, two weeks before he left for New Zealand, said Mr Kilailakeba. “If he did not like the award, then he did not have

to go. I told him to study the conditions very well, so that he would understand where he was.”

The only group leader of the union in North Canterbury was Mr Rawaqa Waisea, who was based at the Cheviot Camp, said Mr Kilailakeba. Claims by Mr Sauturaga and others that the union was making a profit out of the air fares for the Fijian workers were without foundation. said Mr Kilailakeba.

“In fact, the union stands to make a loss,” he said. “It has been running great financial risks for the workers.” Mr Kilailakeba said that his union had had to pay £92 2s to a travel agent as a service charge for arranging air fares and travel. This was not profit for the union as had been claimed. Mr Kilailakeba said that to get the Fijian tussock workers from Suva to Nandi airport he had had to hire a bus at £55, and two taxis at £l2 each. The union would provide the same service when the workers returned. The union had had to pay £l7 10s in additional expenses for each of the 53 workers, he said. These included telephone calls, and waiting time.

The union had run a great risk by advancing £4OO in

Fiji to relatives of the workers, before they had earned it, said Mr Kilailakeba. Mr Kilailakeba said that Mr Sauturaga was a “selfappointed delegate.” Mr Seteraki Delaitubuna still retained his position as union leader at the Waiau Camp, but Mr Waisea, at the Cheviot Camp, was the union’s official delegate, because in Fiji Mr Waisea was a member of the union's executive.