Louis Kotra Uregei, an emblematic and radical figure in the independence struggle in New Caledonia, has died aged 71, announced the Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers (USTKE) in a statement.

Nicknamed LKU or “Loulou”, this representative of New Caledonian militancy died on Thursday night after a long illness.

Originally from the small island of Tiga, in the Loyalty archipelago, Louis Kotra Uregei founded USTKE, the very first independence union, in 1981.

• READ MORE: Nouvelle-Calédonie : Louis Kotra Uregei, fondateur de l’USTKE, est décédé
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Three years later, the USTKE participated in the creation of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS).

In 1988, the day after the hostage-taking in Ouvéa, which killed 21 people, Uregei had been part of the independence delegation sent to Paris to negotiate with the French State and signed the Matignon-Oudinot agreements.

While the USTKE became the second largest trade union force in New Caledonia, Uregei, known for his outspokenness and his radical methods, gradually moved away from the FLNKS and approached anti-globalisation circles.

‘Man of conviction’
In 2007, he founded the Labour Party, in the presence of José Bové, of which he would be the representative at the congress, from 2009 to 2019.

The independence party and member of the FLNKS Caledonian Union paid tribute on Friday to “an independentist leader, who did not mince his words . . .  and who knew how to remind today’s generation of leaders where and how it had to be fought to be heard on the national and international stage”.

The French High Commissioner in New Caledonia, Patrice Faure, hailed the memory of “a committed activist and a man of conviction”.

Domestic flights have been cancelled again in New Caledonia as a conflict between Air Calédonie and the workers’ union USTKE continues.

The carrier decided to cancel all flights today after last week’s disruptions and strikes over the status of a co-pilot. Some flights on Tuesday are also affected.

A meeting took place between the government, the province of the Loyalty islands, the USTKE (Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers) and Air Calédonie to reach a solution.

• READ MORE: Grève à Aircal : les syndicats campent sur leur position
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The territorial government said that “the two institutions are given until August 20 at the latest to find a solution. While waiting, the USTKE has decided to suspend immediately the strike”.

The co-pilot Chrystelle Cejo is reported to have had “training gaps” because of problems caused by the pandemic, which resulted in the company Air Calédonie suspending her contract without renewal, according to the union.

A media release from the union said the company had communicated negative comments to other training instructors on Cejo’s flying capabilities.

Test flight cancelled
On the last stage of her flight training, the instructor gave Cejo one more month until the last test flight which he then cancelled at the last minute and fired her.

UTSKE officials said she should be allowed to resume work and have her contract renewed immediately.

A former pilot of Air Calédonie, Ronald Urene told La Premiere television he did not understand why the company had been “so harsh” on the Kanak pilot.

“There are some pilots that have done only four to five months of training, and to take the pilot that has done 12 months and regard that as only six months of training — that is what is annoying us and I consider that discrimination.”

However, Air Calédonie’s CEO Samuel Hnepeune told La Premiere the decision to ground the pilot was fair because she did not have enough training.

“For me, it’s sufficient information and everybody is convinced,” he said.

“An instructor evaluates the level, and the person comes back after the test and fills the gaps of their training. That’s easily done, but instead the union is demanding an immediate reintegration of the co-pilot.”

‘Exit solution’
Aircal said in its media release that even though “the pilot with a lot of flying experience [she] has not attained the the level of expertise required to fly.”

In a tweet, La Premiere said: “According to the government of New Caledonia an ‘exit solution’ is being considered and the USTKE has suspended its strike.”

Conflit Aircal : selon le gouvernement de la #NouvelleCaledonie, une “solution de sortie” est envisagée et l’USTKE suspend son mouvement https://t.co/OUeKF4M7fg pic.twitter.com/gMAQggpkGE

— NC La 1ère (@ncla1ere) August 15, 2022

An unnamed union member told La Premiere that “the pilot did not get the same treatment as other pilots”.

“The company invented a standard of training as she was getting tuition which is very unfair on her,” he said.

Since August 4, Air Calédonie has been affected by the industrial action leaving more than 1400 people unable to travel to the Loyalty Islands.

A national football league match in Magenta between Tiga and Kunié has been cancelled due to the strikes.