Pacific

Striking Fiji teaching staff refuse to budge

13:45 pm on 26 July 2006

The Fiji Teachers Union says striking staff at the Fiji Institute of Technology will not budge for anything less than

what other government workers have already received.

The staff are demanding Cost of Living Adjustments similar to those given by the government to public servants which the director of the institute has refused to negotiate.

The strike action by almost 400 academic and administrative staff at the Institute has entered its second day today.

The general secretary of the Teachers Union, Agni Deo Singh, says the resolve among the members is very strong and they are not prepared to move until this issue is fixed.

And, he says members have also heard that senior managers have collected over 10,000 US dollars in bonuses for the year.

"Bonuses are normally given for performance of the total institution above par. So any bonus that is received by the institution workers should be shared by everybody."

Agni Deo Singh says a meeting with Labour department officials today will hopefully find a resolution.