On 6th and 7th August 2007, in Nadi Fiji, the PSI Oceania sub region convened a meeting of young workers from across the Pacific. The meeting included participants from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Fiji. The aim of the meeting was; to identify issues for young workers across the Pacific, continue to build a Pacific young union workers network, to develop plans to recruit young workers into the union movement and to develop those young workers into active members and future leaders. The meeting also discussed issues relating to the upcoming PSI congress to be held in Vienna, which will be attended by one of the co-convenors of the Pacific network, Robert Kutapai from the Papua New Guinea Public Employees Association.

The meeting identified a number of issues for young workers across the Pacific which will be included in a new Pasifika Young Workers charter. The charter will outline the need for; respect for young workers, equal employment opportunities, training and development, and decent working conditions.

There have been a number of industrial issues and action across the Pacific in recent times. At the time of the meeting in Fiji, the Fiji Nursing Association had been on strike for almost two weeks. The meeting expressed support and solidarity to the Fijian nurses campaign and discussed the social, political, industrial and economic situation in all of the participating countries. In parts of the Pacific there is still work to be done to ensure that even the core ILO conventions on the abolition of child labour, and the right to organise and negotiate collectively are upheld. The meeting also discussed our hope for future peace and observed a minutes silence on 6th August to remember the victims of the first weapon of mass destruction in Hiroshima in 1945.

Migration continues to be an issue across the Pacific and many Pacific Island workers are being pushed to migrate to find decent working conditions and fair pay. As many Pacific nations are still developing it is vital to ensure that there are opportunities such as this meeting to ensure that young workers are given development opportunities, and can come together to learn, share information and resources and support one another. A recommendation from the meeting was also to make links with other PSI networks in Asia and Europe (PSI Youth Connect). The Pasifika Young Workers Network is also hoping to develop a page on the PSI website, similar to the European Connect page to publish the Pasifika charter, to facilitate the exchange of information and provide a forum to network with other PSI young workers across the globe.

The young workers who attended the meeting expressed their thanks to the PSI Oceania sub regional committee who approved the funding to enable the meeting to take place and particularly to the PSI Oceania staff, Mike Ingpen and Sue Heath who made all of the arrangements to ensure that it was a successful and productive meeting. The meeting also recommended that the Pasifika network be funded to meet on an annual basis so that we can continue to develop and grow, and that together we can work to address the issues for young workers across our Pacific nations.

For more info please contacts:

1. Mike Ingpen, Ocenia Sub-regional Secretary: Mike.Ingpen@psa.org.nz

2. Robert Kutapai, PSI Oceania/Pacific Young Workers Network Convener: rkutapai@yahoo.com

3. Tanja Bristow, NZPSA Organiser: tanja.bristow@psa.org.nz