Kenneth Zinck

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Kenneth Zinck
Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations, and Productivity
In office
2001–2006
Prime MinisterLaisenia Qarase
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Suva City General
In office
1 September 2001 – 13 May 2006
Preceded byBill Aull
Succeeded byBernadette Ganilau
Personal details
Born16 June 1959
Suva, Fiji
Political partyFiji Labour Party
New Labour Unity Party

Kenneth Vincent Zinck (born 16 June 1959) is a former Fijian trade unionist, politician and Cabinet Minister, who served as Minister of Labour in the government of Laisenia Qarase from 2001 to 2006. In the aftermath of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état he sought political asylum in Australia.

Early life[edit]

Zinck is of Samoan, German, and Fijian descent. He was educated at Marist Brothers High School in Suva.[1] In 1987 he was arrested along with future Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum for protesting against the 1987 Fijian coups d'état.[2]

He worked as president of the Fiji Bank and Finance Sector Employees Union.[3]

Political career[edit]

He unsuccessfully contested the Suva City Open constituency as a candidate of the Fiji Labour Party in the 1999 Fijian general election, losing to United General Party candidate Ofa Duncan.[4]

Following the split in the Labour Party in the wake of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état Zinck joined the New Labour Unity Party (NLUP). He was elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji as an NLUP candidate in the Suva City General Electors Communal constituency at the 2001 election.[5] He was one of only two NLUP candidates to be elected, the other being Duncan, who had defected from the UGP.

The election produced an inconclusive result; Laisenia Qarase's SDL emerged as the largest single party, with 32 of the 71 seats, short of an overall majority in the House of Representatives. Qarase cobbled together a coalition with a number of smaller parties and independents. Zinck defied the NLUP leadership by accepting a Cabinet post as Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations, and Productivity. As a result, he was expelled from the party on 4 December 2003.[6] He successfully challenged the expulision with the Speaker of Parliament, who ruled it invalid on procedural grounds.[7] He therefore officially remained a NLUP parliamentarian, even though the party was deregistered in 2005.

As Labour Minister Zinck threatened to discipline doctors undertaking Work-to-rule action,[8] and accused Asian immigrants of taking jobs from locals in Fiji's garment industry.[9] He repeatedly threatened to jail union leaders and deregister unions engaging in illegal strikes,[10][11][12] causing tension with the Fiji Trades Union Congress.[13] In February 2004, faced with a widespread public sector strike over a cost-of-living adjustment, Zinck referred the issue to compulsory arbitration.[14] In November 2004 the High Court of Fiji ruled that this was unlawful and motivated by bias and ill-will.[15]

In December 2005, Zinck called for Pacific nations to form a trade bloc to present a united front to represent common interests before international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization.[16] He also called for greater labour mobility between Australia and New Zealand and the rest of the Pacific.[17]

In the leadup to the 2006 election, the NLUP formed a coalition with the FLP.[18] Zinck subsequently ran as an independent,[19] but failed to win re-election.[20]

2006 coup and aftermath[edit]

Following his electoral defeat, Fiji Trades Union Congress president Daniel Urai said that Zinck would never work in the union movement again,[21] but in October 2006 he was elected secretary of the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority staff association.[3]

The day after the 2006 Fijian coup d'état he was arrested and later released, by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, after a relative of Military Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama allegedly heard him making derogatory comments about the Commander at Suva's United Club.[22] Zinck claimed to have been subjected to degrading treatment, including being forced to run around a sports field with the guns of four soldiers trained upon him. He was then allegedly forced to stand under a spotlight at Queen Elizabeth Barracks with soldiers standing behind him, warning him against making further statements against the Commander, before being ordered to leave the barracks.[22] Fiji Human Rights Commission Director Shaista Shameem said on 9 December that the incident was being investigated.[23][24]

On 14 December 2006, the Military authorities terminated Zinck's membership of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji.[25]

In March 2007, following his successfully representing workers of the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority in a pay dispute,[26] Zinck was detained by the military for a third time.[27][28] He continued to speak out against the military regime, questioning its legitimacy and its right to use public money,[29] and criticising its plans to overturn the 1997 Constitution of Fiji.[30] In the leadup to the 2009 Fijian constitutional crisis, Zinck was targeted in a wave of attacks against critics of the regime, and his home and car were stoned by unidentified men.[31][32]

In September 2011 he sought political asylum in Australia, alleging repeated physical abuse by the military.[33][34][35]

References[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Kenneth Zinck.
  1. ^ "Friendship in school is a lifelong bond-Zinck". Fiji Village. 23 October 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Zinck maintains stand on coups". Fiji Times. 15 May 2008. p. 2 – via EBSCOHost.
  3. ^ a b "Zinck back in the union fold". Fiji Times. 2 October 2006. p. 4 – via EBSCOHost.
  4. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 8-15 MAY 1999". Psephos. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001". Psephos. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Fiji cabinet minister dumped by his own party". RNZ. 5 December 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Fiji minister Zinck fends off expulsion bid from own party". RNZ. 18 March 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  8. ^ "FMA president says she doesnt know how minister would carry out threats". RNZ. 1 July 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Fiji Cabinet Minister says Asian immigrants are taking jobs from locals". RNZ. 31 October 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Fiji government promises strong action against illegal strikes". RNZ. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Fiji minister threatens to deregister unions amid illgal [sic] strikes". RNZ. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Fiji unions face deregistration threat". RNZ. 13 January 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Tension grows between Fiji labour minister and FTUC". RNZ. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Fiji labour minister refers dispute to arbitration". RNZ. 2 February 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Court rules Fiji labour minister acted illegally and was biased". RNZ. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Fiji's Labour minister calls for single Pacific bloc". RNZ. 12 December 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Further call for Australia and New Zealand to reconsider labour mobility". RNZ. 12 December 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Fiji's New Labour in coalition with FLP". RNZ. 28 March 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  19. ^ "More than 300 candidates to contest next month's Fiji election". RNZ. 12 April 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Tight contest emerging as about a third of Fiji election results released". RNZ. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Unions don't want Zinck". Fiji Times. 25 May 2006. p. 4 – via EBSCOHost.
  22. ^ a b "Fiji Times contributors warned by army". Fiji Times. 9 December 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007.
  23. ^ "Army Warns Not To Speak Publicly Against Them". Fiji Village. 9 December 2006. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006.
  24. ^ "Fiji Human Rights Commission looking into military and police". RNZ. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Fiji coup makers revamp top administration". RNZ. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Fiji court overturns pay cuts at Customs Authority". RNZ. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Union tensions rise in Fiji". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Former Fiji cabinet minister may sue after being interrogated by military for a third time". RNZ. 22 March 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Former Fiji cabinet minister questions use of public funds in court cases". RNZ. 25 September 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Fiji interim regime plans new council to meet in December". RNZ. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Terror rains stones". Fiji Times. 16 February 2009 – via EBSCOHost.
  32. ^ "Second attack". Fiji Times. 24 February 2009 – via EBSCOHost.
  33. ^ "Former Fiji minister Zinck seeks asylum in Australia". RNZ. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  34. ^ "Fiji unionist seeking asylum in Australia says he's been singled out". RNZ. 19 September 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Former Fiji minister seeks protection". The Australian. 21 September 2011 – via EBSCOHost.
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