Union criticises newspaper ads

THE Fiji Sugar and General Workers Union says the paying for newspaper advertisements for casual or unskilled labourers will not help solve the problems of the ailing sugar industry and the Fiji Sugar Corporation.

Union general secretary Felix Anthony described the move as ill-conceived.

FSC human resources Timoci Leqai said the ads were part of their labour rationalisation program. He said it was a course of action that had been decided upon and they would see it through.

Mr Anthony said the advertisement was a slap in the face of permanent mill workers, who had committed most of their productive working life to the industry.

"Getting casual labourers in is not the way forward for the FSC because you will have staff that are not as committed because they won't have job security.

"They will be untrained and lack the level experience that permanent staff have.

"By doing this the FSC is also setting a bad example for other employers.

"Here we are fighting for a fair wage and good conditions for our workers just so they can survive above the poverty line and the FSC comes along and undermines everything we've done for our workers by offering casual labourers peanuts," he said.

Mr Anthony said he had scheduled a meeting with Mr Prasad to discuss the planned redundancies and casual labour tenders.