From Peceli
Survivor 14 in babasiga land
Story from the SBS Australia Fijian Radio
I listened to an interview today of one of the Labasa families who are employed for the Survivor 14 filming in the Vunivutu area of Nadogo, Macuata. Look North certainly becomes a reality now when millions and millions of dollars are being spent to make the series in Fiji at the present time.
The lady who was interviewed works as a cleaner for the film company and there are fourteen of them tidying up the small temporary houses. She was lucky to be chosen she said. Her husband is related to Tui Nadogo. They live in Labasa town. She is from a very distant little isle of Ono-i-lau and they have five children. Her husband works in the Post and Telegraphs in Labasa.
The applicants for the jobs had to have references when they applied and she had previously worked in Morris Hedstrom store. She said they work fifty hours a week at $3.50; an hour and so far she has purchased a television, a mobile phone, a washing machine and paid the school fees for the children.
This is an example of how an overseas investment such as Survivor 14 impacts upon the local people, not only the landowners and shopkeepers and transport but ordinary people.
4 comments:
Wow, that lady has one more TV and one more mobile phone than I do.
Yes, well, one more mobile phone than me.
It is interesting that she would want a washing machine because that would be unusual in Labasa. Usually there are plenty of relatives around to help with chores like washing clothes. I never had such an item in Fiji - at one stage we had a lovely river nearby and washing on the stones was a cool and happy occasion, except when the clothes started floating downstream!
W.
This is great but $3.50 an hour to work, that is a total shame. This television show makes millions and to pay that wage to the locals is just very cheap!! I understand that $3.50/hour seems to be a great deal to the locals but they should be paid at least $10/hour. Come on Survivor, I can't believe you are so damn CHEAP!!!!
$2 an hour is normal for some of the staff at tourist resorts in Fiji and a room might be $200 so that is also grossly unfair. The local people just shrug and accept the pittance and budget accordingly.
I think it would be better to plant a good food garden and have some self-respect than accept $2 an hour to be bossed around and have to keep smiling for the tourists.
W.
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