8 Nov 2004

Flosse camp blames French Polynesian strike on Temaru supporters

2:35 pm on 8 November 2004

The rival Gaston Flosse-led Government in French Polynesia says there is nothing it can do to avert a major strike in the capital, Papeete, on Tuesday.

The strike has been called by the territory's second largest union, led by Ronald Terorotua, a member of the former coalition government led by Oscar Temaru.

The union says it's over a breakdown in talks over a proposed proposed minimum wage increase, but Mr Flosse's Labour Minister, Jean Christophe Bouissou, says it is just to support the ousted president, Mr Temaru.

Mr Bouissou says the workers involved are being manipulated.

"Probably the people and the workers will see that they are taken into some kind of manipulation here through this strike they want to make in progress. So we are hoping the workers will still go on in their work in their companies."

Mr Bouissou says he is not expecting any unrest during the strike, but it will be up to the High Commissioner, who controls the gendarmes, to deal with it if it occurs.