26 Aug 2003

400 workers remain on strike at Fiji's state-owned tuna cannery

2:09 pm on 26 August 2003

400 workers remain on strike at Fiji's state-owned tuna cannery, PAFCO, in Levuka after the management reneged on an undertaking to investigate the issues.

Felix Anthony, the general secretary of the Fiji Trade Union Congress, says PAFCO is continuing to breach the country's labour laws.

And, Mr Anthony says they've made little progress despite a meeting two weeks ago with the management.

"The management had undertaken to investigate some of the issues which it claimed it was unaware of, for instance the payment of public holidays, payment of overtime, maternity leave and so forth. It did undertake that if had not paid the workers, it would pay the workers. It has not done so up till now."

Felix Anthony says they're now waiting on the minister of public enterprise, Irami Matairavula, to arrange a further meeting with the management.