Every family member of a miner at the Vatukoula Gold Mine will relate to you the hardship and struggles that they had to endure for the past 33-years. Many of them had to survive on an income that was below the minimum wage and have untreated water at their homes until today.
And for 41-year-old miner Paula Vukunisiga of Naloto Village in Verata, Tailevu he could not control his emotions after the $9.2 million allocation for the 368 Vatukoula Goldmine union members that were affected by the 1991 gold mine worker’s strike was announced during the 2024-2025 National Budget on Friday.
“First of all, I just want to thank God,” he said.
“When it was announced during the budget, I went to my room and could not hold the pain I had to go through.
“I thought of our fathers who were miners who have passed on and those who are still around. And my mother has also passed on.
“I kept thinking of her on Friday.”
Mr Vukunisiga also acknowledged the Fiji Mine Workers union president Josefa Sadreu and his team for their commitment to resolving the issue.
“During those 33 years I saw the unity and collectiveness of the union executives in this battle.
“When someone is down, we can see the gift of God’s love in a person to help another person.
“Especially our children. We always look out for each other.
“Sometimes when I would leave home, I would bid farewell to my family before going to the mine. But my mother would not say bye. She would say ‘you are going to come back home alive’.
“That’s what we should see of the difficulties our fathers had to go through. And was followed by their children who also worked in the mine.
“But their lives were just taken lightly.
“And I just thank God for his guidance and protection.”