UNIONS KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG

Thakur Ranjit Singh, Auckland, New Zealand

I was amused to hear the statement of one of the unions going on proposed national strike. Fiji nurses Association Secretary believes that the nationwide strike would be a message to the interim administration that the plight of workers needs to be heard and looked into.

Perhaps the trade union movement in Fiji will care to tell us who hears and looks into the plight and pathetic pay, exploitation and abuse of bulk of Fiji’s non unionized workforce and poor people in the informal sector, who do not have full year’s job, let alone having a union. And how about those without jobs who cannot worry about 5% pay cut because there is nothing to cut from! The failure of union movement in Fiji to unionize and protect the vulnerable, unprotected employees in the mostly locally- owned retail and private manufacturing and commercial workers is a shame on the trade union movement.

This is a wake up call for Public Sector unions which have been draining the scarce funds from national coffers made worse by an incompetent leadership, which abdicated common sense and prudence to govern by agreeing to union demands that would have led to bankruptcy. This expedient action in appeasing the unions by signing away money that the government could not afford to pay was a reflection of sort of blinkered - mentality leadership that would have resulted in economic doomsday for Fiji had it not been for the event of 5 December, 2006.

Fiji government was run like a failing and ailing village cooperative store, heading towards receivership and bankruptcy. Like handing tins of fish free to your kins, the last government signed away pay increases to buy industrial peace. No wonder, despite so much racism, concerns and unfair treatment in public service, there were hardly any objections from the now vocal union leaders who were bought with an undeserving and affordable pay rise.

The pay rise was undeserving because it was never linked to performance which to date is pathetic. The CEO of a government (Prime Minister) which spends 40% on civil service pay, 45 % on debt servicing, with only 15% left for development has no moral right to lead the nation. This is because it can go only one way – just like National Bank of Fiji, to bankruptcy. The nation’s economy can no longer sustain such a large public service that has little sympathy for national interest. Any government which on the eve of election commits to further pay increase despite such mismanaged national wealth does not deserve to govern. Unions that apparently gained from such callous management style of the government by being party to this crime on the nation also do not deserve any sympathy!

The leadership of trade union movement in Fiji has taken as elitist position. In fact I distinctly recall my days in Fiji Employers Federation (FEF) where the employer group was referred to as the poor organisation of rich employers while trade union movement in Fiji is referred to as a rich organisation of poor people.

You only need to look at the lucrative remuneration of the trade union leaders who are threatening to take the ailing country’s economy to ransom by abusing the freedom of association provision and playing Russian roulette with us. They either drive a union BMW vehicle, top of the range Mitsubishi or four wheel drive vehicles which the members paying the subscription can only dream of. On top of that most would be nearer to the remuneration package of Permanent Secretaries, if not exceeding that. While the workers were forced to take a 5% pay cut, none of them were prepared to lead by example and impose this restraint within their pay.

When the country goes on strike and normal Tomasi, Daya Ram and Harry would lose their day’s pay, the union leaders would not have lost anything - they will get their full pay. It is this elitist group that makes decisions affecting their remuneration, so their interest is very well protected, and out of tune with normal workers they represent.

You also need to ask these leaders how many air miles or air points have they amassed at union and /or taxpayers expense in attending umpteenth trade union meetings around the globe. How many times have they been to Geneva, Bangkok, Singapore, Turin (Italy), Manila, Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the world? It would be so numerous. One be may just ask, why aren’t those training and exposure opportunities shared with other lower ranked union officials and members who should also taste and experience the rich and leisurely life of their leaders. You may also care to ask what sense of responsibility they have learnt from so many overseas jaunts in how to manage trade union movement in a developing and ailing economy. What will they gain by killing the goose that lays the golden egg? No worker can gain by bringing financial and economic misery to their employers; you do not need to go to Geneva or Bangkok to learn this cardinal truth.

The country had gone through similar difficulties in 1987 and 2000 and workers were prepared to shoulder the sacrifices for the sake of the country. So what has changed now?

It is wrong for Fiji’s trade union movement to mislead us by saying that the economic situation is in dire straits because of military’s actions on 5 December. In fact we are thankful for the intervention or else Fiji would have been a failed state. We are thankful that our pension funds at FNPF have been rescued, and other incompetent and ailing institutions will be improved to retain and save jobs. Trade union movement should be thankful for this at least, rather than blaming the plight of Fiji on the military action.

On the retirement age, perhaps FNPF and the union movement can tell us, of the 4,000 or so members over 55 who are still working, how many have withdrawn their FNPF and invested it (or wasted it) or are getting pension as well as pay. So why should we allow greedy individuals to have double benefits while we have qualified teenagers striving to enter the job market. Fiji’s economy just cannot sustain it, and if people reaching 55 are unable to manage their financial position after years of working and with FNPF funds, then they should not expect the country to owe them a living. The nation also has a duty of care to younger population struggling to enter the job market.

My advice to the government is, let the strike go ahead. The military has ventured to clean up the country, and cleaning up the union movement should also be its aim. While I appreciate the efforts of trade unions in protecting specific rights of the workers, Fiji’s union movement needs to appreciate its wider national obligations and responsibilities. They are not operating in Europe, UK, Australia or NZ but are in a developing third world economy with many problems and massive unemployment. The government and Fiji’s economy cannot sustain this undeserving bulging payroll bill that eats up all development funds. That is the reason for our falling and failing infrastructure, medical services, water, roads and other economic and social ills.

Therefore the strike must go ahead for at least three reasons. Firstly, for every day’s strike, taxpayers will save about $200,000, carry it for a week and we are better off by $1m which we could channel towards improving medical facilities, and make sure some of it goes to my birthplace at Ba Government (Methodist Mission) Hospital.

Secondly, when civil servants are on strike, only then will we appreciate how well things could run with so few workers.

Finally, it will be a good excuse to teach the union movement about its responsibility to the nation and other people who are not even fortunate to hold a job, let alone go on strike which could kill the golden goose that feeds them the golden egg.

Therefore I urge the Interim Government to stop meeting the unions which have already made up their minds to go on strike, and alert Fiji’s people to prepare in advance to ride through the strike.

Those union members with conscience and feeling of national obligations may opt out from the strike. They can be part of the conscientious workforce that recognizes the wider meaning of union solidarity in a third word country with an ailing economy and a national purse that is fast running empty.

Go ahead, make my day; go on strike. God save Fiji. Let us all help God in saving Fiji.

E-Mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz
(About the author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Auckland-based third generation Indo Fijian migrant community worker, a commentator on Fiji affairs, a human rights activist and an advocate of good governance.)