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PNG nurses vote to strike
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Posted on Feb 11 2000
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea—Government nurses nationwide have voted overwhelmingly to strike over pay grievances and work conditions.
Of 1,763 nurses who took part in the ballot, only 26 voted against the
strike action.
The President of the Nurses Association, Susan Haroe, said the strike will start later this week, if final talks now under way with the government fail.
Fiji delegation to visit Rotuma
SUVA, Fiji Islands—A high-powered government delegation is scheduled to visit the northernmost island of Rotuma for three days beginning Thursday to verify reports the island wants to break away from Fiji and become a republic.
Home Affairs Minister Jioji Uluinakauvandra will head the team, which will include Rotuma’s only representative in Parliament, Marieta Rigamoto.
Uluinakauvandra said he wants to hear the specific grievances of island council members and traditional chiefs.
N. Cook Islanders want autonomy
AVARUA, Cook Islands—The island councils of Penrhyn, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Pukapuka want full autonomy over local governance as soon as possible.
That is the message officials gave Prime Minister Dr. Terepai Maoate during his recent series of visits to the outer islands.
The islanders want the national government to speed up the handing over of local administrative duties and control over public expenditures by the island jurisdictions.
Fiji developing coconut water drink
SUVA, Fiji Islands—Coconut water has the potential of becoming the next international sports beverage according to a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Using a new cold sterilization process developed by FAO, coconut water processed in Fiji retains its full taste and contains the salts, sugars and vitamins that bottlers say make it an ideal sports beverage.
At present most of the commercial production of coconut water uses thermal processing, which eliminates some of the drink’s nutrients and most of its delicate flavor. (Pacific Islands Report)
