A. Samoa governor reaffirms closing door to large scale foreign workforce

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (PIDP/CPIS) — The ongoing Daewoosa Samoa garment factory problems have tainted American Samoa’s image worldwide and a new government policy is in place prohibiting the importation of a large-scale foreign workforce, according to Governor Tauese Sunia.

The governor, during a broadcast news conference said the problems with Daewoosa are affecting the territory as a whole.

“Our image and our name have been tainted by expressions in the media lately, especially the mainland media.

“We have become a football been kicked round, because of the Daewoosa saga. Our image overseas is in a very low state because of the Daewoosa publicity, which we have nothing to do with,” said the governor.

“We didn’t bring this on, but American Samoa now suffers and I think it’s my job and the government’s duty to clean it up.”

Because of these problems, Tauese said the government is closing its doors to the importation of a large-scale workforce from foreign countries and will accept only requests for workers in specialized trades.

Daewoosa’s problems with its foreign workforce started in March of 1999 when the first allegations of mistreatment surfaced. They captured the attention of Congress, the U.S. Department of Labor and the international media.

The governor made three visits to the garment factory and received assurances from the company that they would comply with local and federal laws.

But Tauese said the November 28th melee that seriously injured a Vietnamese woman “is one of the sparks that caused more Department of Labor investigation and it got out of hand.”

Tauese said the international media and others unfamiliar with the melee were only reporting that Vietnamese workers were injured but “failed to report that Samoans workers were also injured by Vietnamese workers.”

With the reoccurring problems with foreign workers at the garment factory, Tauese said it was time the government stepped in and cleaned up the problem.

Tauese told reporters that he issued a new government policy last Thursday that now prohibits the importation of a large-scale workforce from a foreign country.

“It’s high time that we look after our own image. I don’t personally think, in my judgment, that what we gained from the garment industry so far can balance out with the problems it has brought us,” he explained.

“I don’t feel like brining in a lot of Asian workers to work here and, unless Samoans in a company are going to create taxes and income for the territory, that it’s worth the headache.

“I could have put up with the headaches when only I or government officials and others were involved. But it has now involved an innocent bystander, the whole territory, and its time we put a stop to this,” he added.

“It is now the policy of the government that we do not support any industry that comes into American Samoa, as long as I’m governor, that relies on the importation of large scale labor.

“We will accept specialized scale workers, that cannot be found in American Samoa but other than that, we don’t think its beneficial to continue this type of arrangement,” he added.

Tauese also said that his office is working with the Vietnam Embassy in Washington, DC. for the safe return of all workers and to make sure that they are compensated for what is owed them. Tauese said the matter of back wages is now before the High Court.

Tauese said that if the Vietnamese government or anyone else fails to come through with funding to pay for the return airfares of the more than 200 Vietnamese workers, the local government will have to fork out the money, which is estimated to be more than $350,000.

“If no one else comes through, as poor as we are, we are going to find the money to send these workers home,” he added.