South Pacific unions meeting called

Date: 06 June 2000

By Andrew Casey

Union leaders from right around the South Pacific will meet early next week to discuss the on-going crisis in Fiji - and now, unfortunately, the spread of the rot to the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands union leaders had spent last weekend - co-incidentally - lobbying for a regional South Pacific meeting to co-ordinate union activity under the umbrella of the South Pacific and Oceanic Council of Trade Unions (SPOCTU).

The SPOCTU conference will call on the Australian and NZ governments, in co-operation with other Pacific nations, to convene an urgent meeting of the South Pacific Forum.

Hours after the Solomon Islands put forward their suggestion that country was overtaken by a Copy-Cat Coup.

Unfortunately the cutting off of telecommunications has meant that Australian and NZ unions, and other members of SPOCTU, have not had contact for more than twenty-four hours with the Solomon Islands union leadership.

Meanwhile the current chair of the SPOCTU, Ms Annie Coeroli from Tahiti, has written to the Military Commander of Fiji, Commodore Bainimarama, to support the Fiji TUC and announce that the 2000 SPOCTU conference will now not be held in Fiji.

" Fiji was an example for the whole Pacific region of hope in progress of democracy, of harmony between people from different origins," Ms Coeroli - from the French Polynesian union movement A Tia I Mua - said in her letter to Commodore Bainimarama.

" Considering the current situation in Fiji, and according to the democratic values that we defend, as chairperson of SPOCTU I have ordered that we boycott your country and organise our next SPOCTU meeting in another - democratic - country.

"I know that your task is very arduous and any decision that you have to make is very difficult.

" I support your efforts to restore peace and wisdom in your country very soon for the benefit of all the people.

" I support your efforts to restore a democratic government with a constitution which, in respect of the Human Rights, will guarantee again equal rights for everyone, a government which cannot include neither Mr George Speight nor any member of his group.

" As a woman, I am very proud of the courage and dignity of the 4 women hostages who refused to accept the freedom proposed by Mr George Speight until all hostages were released together.

" I urge you to make sure that all the hostages will be released immediately."

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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