About 20 percent of the working population are members of the union and concerns are being raised on the fee proposed in the Employment Relations Bill requiring non-union members to pay for any benefits negotiated by the union.
During fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, FTUC National Secretary Felix Anthony said that every worker has the right to join or not join a union, but those who choose not to should not expect to receive union-secured benefits for free.
He says the services unions provide are paid for through members’ subscriptions.
He also says that the union does not have the mandate to negotiate on behalf of workers who are not members.
However, the Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association’s CEO, Fantasha Lockington says that in many cases employers extend pay rises across the board, whether a union was or was not involved in negotiations.
She says the proposal unfairly pressures non-union workers to pay for representation they chose not to have.
Lockington says the union has taken only part of the New Zealand model and ignored the balance that protects workers’ freedom of choice.
Anthony responded that if you are a member of a club, you pay subscriptions and use the facilities and if you are not, you do not get through the door.
He adds that it is not discrimination, it is a choice.
When questioned if he supports the fee remaining in the proposed law, Anthony says the workers' decision not to join the union is fine, but the unions must also be respected for the work they do and the law should recognise that.
