Thursday 26 September 2024, London — Global trade union federation meets workers, seeks engagement with SolTuna and government.
Global trade union federation, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), is in the Solomon Islands meeting workers from a fish processing facility that is vital to the Islands’ economy.
The ITF represents 16.5 million workers drawn from transport trade union affiliates from 150 countries – including the Workers’ Union of the Solomon Islands (WUSI). The visit to explore potential workers’ rights abuses takes place at the request of WUSI members working at the facility.
The facility is owned by Solomon Islands company SolTuna, which is part of the Tri Marine Group, which is in turn owned by multinational company, the Bolton Group. Tri Marine’s Solomon Islands fishing operations are undertaken by its Singapore-registered subsidiary, National Fisheries Developments (NFD).
ITF Asia-Pacific Regional Secretary, Scott McDine, led the ITF delegation to Noro in order to understand the issues raised by workers. He said: “We’ve heard of some troubling practices at SolTuna’s Noro facility, including poor wages and potential underpayment of extra hours worked.
“That’s why we’ve reached out to SolTuna and NFD, whose management was sadly unavailable to meet us, and that’s why we’re here to find out first-hand from the workers about the conditions they face.
“The ITF is always open to working collaboratively with governments and employers in order to win fair and appropriate conditions for workers.”
Around 3,000 workers are employed in the facility in the town of Noro, on the island of New Georgia in the country’s Western Province. The facility processes tuna caught in Solomon Islands waters that is sold both domestically and for export, with worker membership of WUSI increasing.
McDine said: “We know just how important SolTuna and Tri Marine’s business in the Solomon Islands is to the workers and their families, to the Solomon Islands’ economy as a whole, and to the success of the company.
“That’s why it’s had investment from the Australian Government and the World Bank, and that’s why it’s in the best interests of the workers in Noro, and all those who’ve been involved in supporting tuna processing here, that the ITF and WUSI can join SolTuna and NFD in a mature, collaborative process of dialogue.”
The ITF will continue to pursue meetings with management from SolTuna and NFD, and it will work with WUSI on further visits to ensure the human and labour rights of workers are protected.