Singh raises concern on unionists being classified as public officers

Fiji Public Service Association general secretary Rajeshwar Singh has raised concern on trade unionists being classified as a public officer under the new Political Parties Registration Decree.

According to Singh, the new law definitely targets the trade unionists as much as the state wants to deny it.

Singh highlighted that under the decree, the trade unionists have been lumped as public officers and has questioned since when have the trade union officials become public officers.

He said the decree also includes employees of statutory boards which was never the case before.

He added as far as civil servants are concerned, there is enough restrictions for them not to engage in political activities under the General Orders 2011.

Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said under the decree, a public officer is somebody who is a member of a statutory body or a commission or a board, anyone holding any office in the public service including the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Corrections Service and the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces, unionists, judges, magistrates and executives of an employers federation.

He said a public officer does not mean the President, the Prime Minister or a Minister.

Sayed-Khaiyum has stressed that the government has taken a principled approach to laws and is not targeting anyone in particular in the new decree adding that the new law will even affect Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama if he wants to be a party executive as he has to resign from the Army Commander’s post.


Story by: Vijay Narayan