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Fiji nurses threatening strike action next week say they may take up work offers in Australia and New Zealand.
Fiji Nursing Association general secretary Kuini Lutua said about 1400 nurses would walk off the job shortly after midnight next Tuesday unless the Government offers them a 5 per cent pay rise. That would reinstate wages to a level before a 5 per cent pay cut the government imposed on all public servants in March.
Since taking power in a coup last December, Fiji's military government has cut the wages of public servants and reduced the compulsory retirement age in a bid to rein in spending.
"Our loss will be Australia and New Zealand's gain, because of the nursing workforce needs in your country," Lutua said.
She said there were hundreds of job offers coming from agencies trying to entice Fiji nurses to Australia and New Zealand, where they would be paid much more than they can expect to make at home.
"A lot of our nurses are investigating other options they can take. The association really wants to get this through to the interim government, so we can retain our nurses," she said.
Lutua said patients in hospitals would have to be looked after by non-union workers if the strike went ahead, and nurses would picket government buildings.
She said the Government appeared to be trying to intimidate some of the nurses into stopping any action.
"Some police officers are questioning some of our members, asking whether they are going to go on strike or not ... We don't want our members to be intimidated individually."
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama yesterday said his government would not restore the 5 per cent wage cut. Other unions in Fiji, including the Public Service Association, accepted a 1 per cent pay rise.
Meanwhile, unions associated with the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions, including teachers and some public servants, have planned strike action for August 2.
Fiji's interim Public Service Minister Poseci Bune said the strikes would be costly to Fiji, and the police and military could take up some of the work responsibilities.
"It seems that the officials of the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions and Fiji Nursing Association have their own political agendas and are prepared to sacrifice the welfare and livelihoods of their members," Bune said.
- AAP
