Dear Editor – It is with regret that the European Union has decided to give SINUW a grant of 1 million dollars as recognition of its efforts to protect human rights.
I think the European Union has made a big mistake because it did not find out the whole truth about how the union was managed and used for personal and political gains. Instead, the EU representative in Solomon Islands only looks at one side of the story which portrait SINUW representing the rights of the workers.
Had he looked on the other side of the story and did some research SINUW under the present leadership should not deserve a 1 million dollars gift.
While I appreciate, the fact that SINUW was set up under the trade union act to safeguard the interests of member workers it is no longer the case.
This is because their interest is no longer the priority instead diverting attention to personal and political interest. The money the workers contributed to the union as their fees has not been accounted for. In fact SINUW should have been deregistered by the Registrar of Trade Unions in 2007.
This is because SINUW leadership failed to produce the financial report for the years 2000-2003. According to the General Secretary’s letter Tony Kagovai to the registrar on 26th July, 2007, he said there were no activities conducted.
This is total liars. I am an alternate director of RIPEL on behalf of the central province as a shareholder and according to the information I have SINUW collected several thousands of dollars from RIPEL for the workers dues.
It clearly means that the leaders of SINUW and in particular the General Secretary himself Tony Kagovai was not telling the truth to the Registrar of Trade Unions.
In respect of the workers rights SINUW has neglected the interests and affairs of about 1,000 former workers of the Russell Islands Plantation Estates Limited at Yandina and on Guadalcanal. In 2004 the High Court ruled that the strike organized by the SINUW for the RIPEL workers as illegal and ordered the workers to pay compensation to the company for damages caused.
In November, 2004 the High Court dismissed SINUW’s application to set aside the orders for illegal strike and compensation. This meant that SINUW leadership had not alternative but to abide with the orders.
But instead SINUW leadership continued to give false information to the former workers that they have won the case. The SINUW leadership also gave false information to the former workers that a company registered under the name nationwide was theirs.
To tell the truth only the two top leaders of SINUW Tony Kagovai and David Tuhanuku were directors and could not hold 20% shares in RIPEL on behalf of the workers.
In this respect SINUW ledership were only looking after their own personal interests. The EU should now withdraw the 1 million dollars assistance to SINUW for the following reasons:
Neglecting the rights of the workers by refusing to obey the High Court Order ruling the strike illegal meaning the workers returned for normal employment.
As the result of personal interest theunion leadership has created more hardships for the former workers because they could not earn money for their livelihood.
The leadership created more hardhsips depriving the workers their rights to have a decent water supply and electricity because RIPEl could not continue to provide the services because management was chased out of Yandina.
Former workers were forced by the union to harvest company copra and cocoa for sell illegally in Honiara.
SINUW has been in contempt of High Court Orders and no one can rule out the consequences. SINUW will have to pay compensation to RIPEL for damages and the price for contempt of court. The 1 million dollars will be used for legal costs.
I am happy to educate the EU representative in Honiara and I hope he will give some of his time to consider my points.
I also urge the RIPEL former workers to treat my points as nothing else but the Truth and stop having hopes that Whiteside will be removed one day. Only the RIPEL Board has the Power to sack John Whiteside.
Patteson Mae
Honiara
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