The Vatukoula gold mine worker’s claim for a midday sex break created as much humour as controversy both locally and overseas.
On Saturday, April 26, 1975, The Fiji Times reported on the log of claims recorded by the mineworkers’ union which became a major topic at its an annual meeting at Vatukoula.
The union’s general secretary, Navitalai Raqona told The Fiji Times the sex break would be in the union’s log of claims for that year.
“The sex break is very important to the mineworkers,” he was quoted saying.
“I remain firm in saying if the company does not grant us the half-hour sex break, then we will close the mine altogether.”
The 1600 members attended the meeting also discussed the 28 days’ notice the union served Emperor Gold Mining Company on April 8 of that year.
The strike notice, which expired on May 4, was over alleged racial discrimination by the company.
Mr Raqona said about two years previously the company employed a European man, although there was no job for him, and when the European left, a Fijian was employed in his place but given lower pay.
“The position is there but the pay is not there,” he said.
“We held conciliation talks with the company in January, but it was a deadlock.”
Mr Raqona said it was “very likely” the union would go on general strike when the notice expired on May 4.
The union demanded a wage of $1.50 an hour, compared with the present 53 cents they were receiving.
There had been an agreement between the company and the union which said the union was not to represent its staff, but this was abolished when the Government’s Commission of Inquiry on racial discrimination sat at Vatukoula in 1974.
In its log, the union asked for a minimum salary of $15,000 per year for grade one staff, $12,000 for grade II, $9,000 for three and $6000 for four.
Until that period they were being paid between $1800 and $8000.
