Fear for Fijian union leaders

Date: 21 May 2000

The ACTU says Fijian union leaders may be one of the first targets of the coup leaders if the democratically elected government is not restored to power.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said today that the ACTU and affiliate unions had had intermittent telephone contact with members of the Fijian Trade Union Congress over the weekend, but the immediate future remained unknown. She welcomed the news last night that Fijian unions had called an indefinite strike from Monday to protest the coup.

Ms Burrow said the Australian Government provided protection for Fijian unionists who fled their country in 1987 in the days following the coup by the Fijian military, led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka.

The ACTU would expect Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to offer aid through the Australian High Commission to all Fijians who needed safe haven in Australia.

"Union leaders were targeted in the last coup," said Ms Burrow. "We are monitoring the situation in Fiji as closely as we can. We do know that union leaders in Fiji are fearful about the future and the security of their families and colleagues.

"If democracy is not restored to Fiji, the Australian community would be expecting Australia and the international community to consider every kind of international pressure that can be applied.

"This could include expulsion from the Commonwealth, United Nations sanctions and a close examination of international financial support. There must be no compromise from either the Australian Government or the international community."

For further information

Contact:	Brenda Finlayson 0413 507 260 or George Wright 0419 566 616
Union:	ACTU
Fax:	(03) 9663 4051/8220
Email:	media@actu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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