29 Mar 2004

Fiji Labour Party fails union leadership bids

2:07 pm on 29 March 2004

The Fiji Labour Party has failed in its bid to gain control over two key trade unions.

The Labour Party MP, Daniel Urai, contested the position of general secretary of the Fiji Post and Telecommunications Employees Association in last week's ballot.

But the acting secretary of the association, Attar Singh, won by an overwhelming majority, polling 924 votes to Mr Urai's 36.

Mr Singh says the results indicate that workers reject the politicisation of their trade unions.

Earlier, another Labour MP, Dr Ganesh Chand, failed to win the election to become secretary of the Banking and Finance Sector Union.

The acting secretary, Pramod Rae, defeated Dr Chand by polling one thousand one hundred and forty five votes to the Labour MP's 484.

Mr Rae says he is concerned that 484 members did not vote for him and he will try to work on their concerns.