Vanuatu bars entry to unionists

The Vanuatu government has come under attack from trade unions for refusing to allow two South Pacific Council of Trade Unions (SPOCTU) officials into the country.

The action resulted in the cancellation of the SPOCTU triennial conference in Port Vila last week.

Acting on orders from the minister responsible for immigration, Prime Minister Maxime Korman, principal immigration officer Francois Batick issued a notice declaring SPOCTU executive officer Australian Rodney Ellis and education officer Raghwan of Fiji undesirable immigrants and denied them entry.

No reason was given for the action.

SPOCTU chairperson Ken Douglas said from Wellington on July 14 that despite the order being issued on June 7, “the Vanuatu government lacked either the common decency or common sense” to advise SPOCTU of the ban.

SPOCTU was advised of the ban on its two officials only through their travel agent on July 9.

Douglas says the necessity to cancel the conference at such a late stage meant a significant financial loss for SPOCTU and also for the local business community in Vanuatu.

He warns that the SPOCTU experience should make all organisations “extremely wary in dealing with the Vanuatu government and certainly of attempting to hold conferences or meetings in that country”.

Douglas said this restriction on the “freedom of movement of regional citizens, and particularly the executive personnel of a legitimate non-government organisation, is totally unacceptable and cannot be tolerated”.

The Vanuatu Public Service Association also hit out at the Korman government for refusing to allow the two SPOCTU officials into the country.

The Australian Transport Workers Union sent a strong protest note to Prime Minister Korman.

On July 13 the Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions also attacked the Vanuatu government's action.

The Solomon Islands Union Council said that while it respects the sovereignty of Vanuatu, it stressed that SPOCTU is a regional organisation and should be respected by regional governments, including Vanuatu.
[From Pacnews/Pegasus.]

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