Fijivillage, August 7, 2007 The Fiji Nursing Association General
Secretary Kuini Lutua maintains that they did not breach the Public
Order Act as she awaits charges to be laid against her and 19 other
striking nurses. Speaking to Village News last night Kuni Lutua said
they have been told they will be charged, however they believe they did
not do anything illegal. Lutua remains adamant that they will not
accept the one percent pay restoration and will not return to work.
Lutua and the other members who were standing outside the Cabinet
office at Government buildings with placards were rounded up by police
and military officers and taken to Nasova where they were interviewed.
... Lutua

Radio New Zealand International, August 7, 2007 The Suva High Court has
granted a stay order against the Fiji interim government’s decision to
lower the retirement age to 55. Justice Filimoni Jitoko has agreed to
hear a judicial review of the retirement age issue following an
application by the Fijian Teachers Association and the Fiji Public
Servants Association. The hearing will begin on October 30. ... Fiji

Fiji Times, August 8, 2007 Affiliates of the Fiji Islands Council of
Trade Unions who have called off their strike have pledged their
support to members of the Fiji Nursing Association who are carrying on
the fight. The Public Employees Union and Viti National Union announced
yesterday their members were going back to work today, while the Fijian
Teachers Association called off their strike on Friday. FICTU general
secretary Attar Singh said there had been exchange visits between the
picket sites during the strike and they would continue to offer their
support to the nurses. ... Nurses

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, August 8, 2007 The nurses demostrated
their rights in picketing outside the government buildings says Interim
Labour Minister Bernadette Rounds Ganilau. Ganilau said while the
nurses were within their jurisdiction, she could not do anything about
the situation as the nurses were protesting to the Prime Minister. “Why
don’t you ask the Prime Minister? They’re not protesting to me they’re
protesting to the Prime Minister. It’s also their right to do that.
When you’re in a situation like this, you will resort to all measures
to bring notice to your attention.” ... Fiji

Amelia Vunileba, Fiji Times, August 8, 2007 Twenty Fiji Nursing
Association members were released late yesterday after being taken in
for questioning by police for protesting outside Government Buildings
where a Cabinet meeting was in progress. Shortly before midday,
security in and around Government Buildings was increased as reports
filtered in of a protest there by nurses. FNA members arrived in pairs
with placards and stood across Gladstone Road from Government
Buildings, with police and army personnel facing them. The striking
nurses were spread out along Gladstone Road in groups of two and
silently held up their placards in the hope Cabinet ministers would see
them. ... Protesters

Radio New Zealand International, August 7, 2007 About 20 Fiji nurses
who were arrested when they staged a protest outside the cabinet office
in Suva yesterday were released last night after a warning. The nurses
arrived in pairs holding up placards drawing attention to their strike
which is now in its fifteenth day. The general secretary of the Fiji
Nurses Association, Kuini Lutua, says they were abiding by the Public
Order Act by standing in twos. The nurses did not resist when they were
rounded up and taken to the Police Academy in Nasese for interviews.
Mrs Lutua says police treated them professionally and provided them
with lunch. ... Fiji

Radio New Zealand, August 7, 2007 About 14 striking nurses in Fiji have
been arrested by police and soldiers for protesting outside the cabinet
office in Suva. The nurses were holding up placards when police and
soldiers rounded them up and told them to board a police bus. Earlier
in the day the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama said
union leaders had been misleading their members by saying that such
protests were legal. He said anyone assembling in protest would be
breaching the Public Order Act and would be arrested by the police. The
nurses are in their second week of striking in a bid to have pay cuts
reversed. Copyright © 2007 Radio New Zealand

Fijilive, August 7, 2007 Interim Health Minister Dr Jona Senilagakali
says that police took in a group of nurses today to caution them not to
break the law. "They were not arrested, only briefed so they don't
break the law," said Dr Senilagakali. Fiji Nursing Association general
secretary Kuini Lutua and more than 10 nurses picketed outside
Government Buildings in Suva at mid-day today as members of the interim
Cabinet met inside. While they stood in pairs with their banners,
members of the Police Tactical Response unit rounded them off and took
them in a police bus to the Nasova Police Academy. The nationwide
strike by the 4000-plus members of FNA entered its 14th day today. The
nurses maintain that they want full restoration of the 5 per cent pay

Fijilive, August 7, 2007 Striking nurses who were detained at the
Nasova Police Academy this afternoon were released minutes ago.
Criminal Investigations Department director Aisea Navakamocea confirmed
police had warned them before they were released. The nurses were
interviewed but no charges were laid. The nurses are reported to have
returned to the Fiji Nursing Association headquarters to continue
protesting as they end the 14th day of their strike today. Police
rounded them off this afternoon after they were picketing outside the
Government Buildings as Cabinet members met inside.

One News, August 7, 2007 Fijian soldiers and riot police have rounded
up and forcibly removed a group of striking nurses who were picketing
in Suva in a protest over their pay. Around 20 nurses were picketing
outside government building, hoping to catch the eye of Fiji's military
commander and self appointed prime minister Commodore Frank
Bainimarama. But instead the protesters drew the attention of
Bainimarama's men. "If you stand in threes it's against the law, it's a
crowd, but if you stand in twos it's not. If they arrest us they have
to give a good reason for arresting us," says Kuini Lutua from the Fiji
Nursing Association. ... Striking

Fiji Times, August 7, 2007 The nurses that were rounded up by police
earlier today are being held at the Police Academy, Nasova awaiting the
arrival of the Commissioner of Police, Commander Esala Teleni. Fiji
Nursing Association general secretary, Kuini Lutua, said they were told
they would be charged but were not told what the charges are. The
commissioner is expected to lay the charges. Ms Lutua said their
protest was peaceful and was not a breach of the Public Order Act. ''We
protested in pairs with our placards and we had put a certain distance
between every pair of nurses so that we are not seen as breaching the
Act,'' Ms Lutua said. ... Nurses

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, August 7, 2007 Fiji Police have not laid
any chargers on the nurses taken in for their show of demostration
outside the government buildings in Suva today. The Nurses are
currently being questioned for their apparent behavior at the Nasova
Police Academy. At midday today, 18 nurses holding placards started
demonstrating outside the Prime Minister’s Office, which was hosting a
Cabinet meeting. The nurses were rounded up by the Police Mobile Unit
and the military. Fiji Nursing Association General Secretary Kuini
Lutua says the nurses were demonstrating within the law. Police have
asked members of the striking unions to maintain law and order. ... No

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, August 7, 2007 About twenty nurses
protesting at the Government Buildings have been arrested and are
currently being interviewed by Police at the Nasova Police Academy. The
nurses moved outside the government buildings around midday today as a
scheduled Cabinet meeting is currently underway. It has been
established that Fiji Nursing Association, General Secretary Kuini
Lutua and some other executive members are included in the arrest. The
demonstration by nurses is believed to have been their last resort
after a failure to reach a resolution with Government on proposals.
Protesting nurses are demanding restoring of the five percent pay-cut
imposed on civil servants by the interim government, whilst refusing

Radio Australia, August 7, 2007 A leader of the nursing union in Fiji
which has been on strike for the last 14 days has been arrested
together with up to 20 nurses. The group was detained while attempting
to hold a demonstration outside the building where military regime
leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama and his cabinet were meeting. Our
reporter - Samisoni Pareti - reports from Suva: Fiji Nursing Union
general secretary Kuini Lutua was among the group of nurses arrested by
police outside the cabinet office building in Suva during lunch today.
... Striking

Radio New Zealand International, August 7, 2007 About 14 striking
nurses in Fiji led by their union general secretary Kuini Lutua have
been arrested by police and soldiers for protesting outside the cabinet
office in Suva. The nurses arrived outside the venue where the cabinet
was meeting and held up placards when police and soldiers rounded them
up and told them to board a police bus. Earlier in the day, the interim
prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama had warned that Mrs Lutua
had been misleading her members by saying that such protests were
legal. Commodore Bainimarama said anyone assembling in protest would be
breaching the Public Order Act and would be arrested by the police. The
nurses have been on strike for a second week in a bid to have their pay