Military personnel with the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands shot and killed an unarmed local man and wounded another in an incident on the outskirts of the capital, Honiara, last Thursday: here. See also here.
Solomon Islands: Australian occupation to continue: here.
Solomon Islands: Australian police accused of bribing witnesses: here.
Vanuatu government expels Australian police: here.
Police protect Tonga soldiers
Solomon Islands: Tensions have been raised between two Pacific island states after Tonga refused to allow police to question Tongan soldiers accused of shooting a Solomon man to death.
The Tongan troops, part of an international force charged with keeping order in the chaotic Solomon Islands, killed a man when they confronted protesters in the capital Honiara last week.
The islands currently have no prime minister and Tongan Defence Minister Fred Sevele insisted that, until local politicians decided on a leader, the Tongan soldiers were entitled to immunity from prosecution.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/94153
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Solomon Islands fish cannery workers end strike
Around 570 members of the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers (SINUW) ended a three-day strike at the Soltai cannery in Noro, Western Province on Monday after agreeing to allow their dispute to be heard in the Trade Dispute Panel. Workers downed tools and occupied the factory on June 17 after 63 local supervisors were sacked for refusing to sign a new work contract. The supervisors were opposed to a clause in the contracts that prohibited them from registering with SINUW. Other demands include higher salaries and allowances, job security, better working conditions and payment of overtime rates.
Workers complained to the media about the “inhumane conditions” they work under. “They used to treat us like slaves having to be locked up in the cannery for hours without food and water,” one reported. “From January to March, we only got $500 ($US61) for our salary which was quite unrealistic.”
http://wsws.org/articles/2011/jun2011/wkrs-j25.shtml
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Solomon Island nurses strike
Nurses in the outpatient and emergency department at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara held a sit-in on August 27 after hospital management and the ministry of health failed to address grievances put to them several weeks ago. Some of the issues related to the security of the nursing officers working at the department following the stoning of a nurse. Nurses claimed they are subjected to regular verbal abuse and occasional assault by members of the public.
According to nurses, the public are vetting their anger over poor service at the hospital due to a lack of staff and medical equipment. The day before the nurses protested the emergency department further reduced its services. The nurses want better staffing and medical equipment and transport for nurses forced to travel at night.
http://wsws.org/articles/2012/sep2012/labo-s01.shtml
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