24 Jul 2007

Another two hundred workers needed but no extra jobs at American Samoa fish plant

3:12 pm on 24 July 2007

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One of American Samoa's largest private employers, Star Kist Samoa, says it is not providing any new jobs despite seeking 200 workers.

The cannery is currently advertising for fish cleaners but it says the 200 will replace employees who will leave Star Kist when school gets under way in 2 weeks time.

According to local officials, a larger than usual number of high school and college students plus some teachers worked at the canneries this summer .

The cannery says the planned pouch production, which was to have begun this month, is still on hold.

This follows the imposition of a federal minimum wage hike which the territory is not exempted from.

The other big cannery, Samoa Packing, has been working 4 days instead of five for the past month.