Lololo Pine Nursery employees. [PHOTO: SAINIANI BOILA]
Workers at the Lololo Pine Nursery are welcoming the refurbishment of their workplace but say better working conditions must also be matched with fairer wages.
For 27 years, Ruci Ratubuka has worked at the nursery, helping prepare and plant thousands of pine seedlings that support Fiji’s forestry industry.
Ratubuka says the newly refurbished office has made a significant difference to their daily work, particularly during wet weather.
She adds while the improved office now provides shelter and a comfortable space to work, workers are still struggling to make ends meet.
“We are paid about $20 per block for filling pots with soil and $15 per block for planting, but believes the rates no longer reflect the amount of work involved or the rising cost of living.Planting is particularly demanding, as we spend long hours in muddy and wet conditions without adequate protective gear such as boots and raincoats, often returning home exhausted and cold.”
Another long-serving worker, Keasi Liku, who has spent 24 years at the nursery, echoed the call for better wages. Liku acknowledged previous increases in pay but says they remain insufficient.
Extension Officer with the Fiji Pine Trust, Eroni Cevamaca, says the refurbishment of the Lololo office is the first step in improving conditions at the site.
Cevamaca says the attention will gradually shift to addressing the needs of workers and landowners, noting that improvements will be carried out in stages.
The newly refurbished Lololo Pine Station Nursery and Office will greatl assist pine farmers and also help expand the pine industry in the country.
