Fiji General Strike against Coup

Date: 20 May 2000

By Andrew Casey

The Secretary of the Fiji TUC, Mr Felix Anthony, has told LabourStart that in an extraordinary meeting in Lautoka - a town on the main island - the union movement has declared an indefinite strike until the democratic government has been re-instated.

" We've called on all the workers of this country - whether they are in unions or not in unions - not to go to work on Monday, and stay away until democracy has been restored," Mr Anthony said.

" The unions have resolved to urge affiliates to protest against the illegal takeover of Government and the holding hostage of the Prime Minister and other MPs."

The Education Minister in the desposed Fiji Labour Government, Pratap Chand, is now in hiding in Sydney, Australia.

Chand, a former leader of the Fiji Teachers union, is holding discussions over the weekend with the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Education Union.

Pratap Chand will make public statements after talking with his colleagues back in Fiji .

The Fiji TUC has also called on international unions to provide whatever support they can give, especially by contacting the President of Fiji, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to protest the undermining of democracy.

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions has already sent protest letters to President Mara.

Other unions and activists can send protest notes to President Mara's Fiji telefax: 679 301 645.

The ICFTU has begun assessing how best to marshal support for Fiji's working people - especially through putting pressure on the IMF and the World Bank.

The Secretary of the TUC, Felix Anthony, called the extraordinary meeting on Saturday in Lautoka because it has so far not been affected by the coup makers.

He said that despite the circumstances there had been a good roll up to this special meeting of almost all affiliates.

One important union, the Nurses Union, was not represented at the meeting.

Mr Anthony was not prepared to discuss why they were not at the meeting. but he acknowledged that there had been reports that former members of the Fiji Intelligence Service had been behind an industrial dispute earlier this month involving the Nurses Union.

The Fiji Intelligence Service was disbanded by the Labour Government when it came to power a year ago. Former members of the Intelligence Service have been seen in the crowds which marched to Parliament House. It was this demonstration which triggered off the coup.

Mr Anthony, who is also secretary of the important Sugar Plantation Union , has told Australian union colleagues that so far no union officials or union offices have been targeted. During the 1987 Fiji coups union officials and offices were prime targets.

However, Mr Anthony says the unions are concerned that if the situation deteriorates rapidly then they will become targets.

Mr Anthony said the Fiji TUC meeting on Saturday decided to exclude from the stoppage three unions and their members in the key areas of health, electricity and water .

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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