13 Apr 2012

French Polynesia phone company strike ends

9:20 am on 13 April 2012

French Polynesia's A tia I mua union has ended its strike at the Tikiphone company.

The union action began yesterday amid concern about employment issues and the high phone charges, but also protest at the company lending the government more than 50 million US dollars.

The loan arrangement was struck last month after the government of Oscar Temaru failed to get money from the CPS social security fund and amid an ongoing dispute with France's Development Bank.

The union has won an agreement that the Tikiphone loan will be released in instalments which show that the funds will be used for investments only.