Fishy business. The Social Impact of SST.pdf - Act Now!

The supervisors in the plant/engineering and production are mainly Asians. In security, they’rea mix of nationals and expats. In the early stages there were more national supervisors who’dsecured their jobs from merit, but when the company increased its Asian employees a lot ofnationals resigned. ‘I personally know 3 people who resigned because they felt that Asianswere competing with nationals for jobs though they have the same or lower qualifications.’He does not know the supervisors’ salaries but he believes some are making K2-2.50/hour andsenior ones K3-3.50/hour. Tradesmen, he says, could be making K7/hour. [Emphasis added].Esther, interview 14.7.05. Esther works in SST in the night shift. She dropped out of school atgrade 8 and feels she has no choice but to work there. ‘Olsem mi tok pinis mi nidim moni longcanary baim samting we mi nidim olsem pikinini meri. Mipela planti tru long famili na wokpapa I mekim ino inap long kisim inap moni long fidim mipela olgeta long haus. Mi binamamas tru long go wok long canary fest aim oli bin kisim nem bilong mi. Bikos mi no bin savewanem kain wok stret bai mi mekim. Tasol taim mi go wok mi lukim ino gutpela stret. Mipelainogat glovs long usim na rausim skin mit na bun bilong fis. Mi filim nogut stret tasol mi wokyet bikos mi laikim moni long baim samting wei mi nidim. …Mi min olsem rausim skin bilongfish na mit wantain bun em hatwok tru. Supervisor bai sanap klostu long mi na putim ai na was.Sapos mi no wok hariap na pinisim namba bilong pis olsem ol imakim long bai mi mekim e molbai katim pei bilong mi. Mipela inogat malolo, sanap tasol na han bai wok inap long belo taim.…Long sait bilong pei em fes fortnight mi bin kisimn K20.18 toea. Mi bin pilim nogut stret nabelhaty wantaim bikos mi mekim bikpela wok na nau pei down olgeta. Mi tingting long lusimwok na stap tasol mi ting olsem husait bai givim mi moni. Olsem na mi go yet long wok. …Sampela taim mi save pilim olsem han bilong mi emi pen nogut tru long holim fish tasol nawok. Na mi pilim olsem mu kamap olsem wanpela kain masin isave wok na nogat move bilongem. Ol supervisor ino save mekim gut long miepla kros nating sampela tain na katim pei bilongmiepla ol woklain long canary.Mi no amamas olgeta long ol lain boss. O limas baim gloves nau na bai mipela ol wok lain Iwerim na rausim skin, mit na bun bilong fish. Plenti taim mi save sem long kalap long bus na golong haus bikos skin bilong mi ismel fish. Na planti pasindia long bus na boskru wantaim draivatu save kros. Olsem mobeta kampani I baim ol bikpela truk bilong karim miepla igo long wok.Seml bilong dispela canary isave bagarapim mi tru. Mi no lain long smelim dispela kain smell.Taim mi pinis wok na go long haus long morning mi save kisim bikpela het pen. Maski mi sliplongpela haus tasol smell imekim mi sik taim pinis. Ol bosman bilong canary itok bai stretimdispela kain smel. Tasol ino mekim yet na smel iwok long bagarapim taun na ol local plesklostu long taun olsem Kreer na Saure ples. Mi yet mi bin harim sampela pasindia husait laik golong sip long Madang ibin komplen long smel bilong canary. Ol ino laik bai canary istap klostulong shipping wharf bikos smel I bagarapim ol traveling pasindias bilong sip.Em hia ol liklik tingting bilong mi:• ST imas hapim pei bilong ol wok manmeri• Baim ol gloves na extra hair-net, gum boots, ad apron blong wok long fish• Givim planti kaikai long woklain insait long canary• Tritim gut ol woklain na maski long singaut nating long ol woklain• Baim bikpela truk na karim ol woklain igo kam long wok155