BSP assures their customers that its 'Business As Usual' for all its operations Fiji wide

Bank South Pacific, has assured the public, including their customers that its “Business As Usual” for all its operations Fiji wide while the Fiji Bank and Finance Sector Employees Union says any industrial action is the last resort for the union in their deadlock with BSP in terms of staff remuneration.

Ali says any form of industrial action – or any threats of it – undermines the trust of their customers adding they are entrusted with customer’s hard-earned funds and are duty-bound to provide access, as and when they need it.

He adds they remain responsible and fair with staff remuneration adding over the last 12 months they have engaged with the union, in good faith in relation to the annual salary reviews adding, unfortunately, they were not able to reach consensus despite several rounds of discussion.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Bank and Finance Sector Employees Union National Secretary Sailesh Naidu says they are open for discussion to amicably resolve this matter at the earliest.

Naidu says if they do decide to take industrial action, they will follow the guidelines in the Employment Relations Act 2007.

Part 19, Division 8, Section 191BN and 191BQ of the Act states that if a strike is contemplated by a trade union in respect of workers in or in control of, an essential service and industry in pursuance of a dispute between the workers and their employer, the trade union must— conduct a secret ballot in accordance with section 175; and in writing, give at least 14 days notice of strike to the employer and serve a copy of the notice to the Arbitration Court. 

The notice of strike must—be signed by the secretary of the trade union; state the date and time on which the strike is contemplated and the place or places where the contemplated strike will occur; state the category of workers who propose to go on strike; state the estimated duration of the strike; and be served by hand, registered mail or courier.

If-the notice of strike does not comply with this section; or the strike does not take place as notified under subsection (2), the notice is deemed not to have been made and any strike undertaken under the notice is unlawful.

It also sates a person who breaks his or her employment contract in respect of that person’s performance in an essential service and industry knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the probable consequences of breaking such employment contract, either alone or in combination with others, will be to—deprive the public, or a section of the public wholly or to a great extent of an essential service and industry, or substantially to diminish the enjoyment of that service by the public or by a section of the public; or endanger human life or cause serious bodily injury or to expose valuable property whether real or personal, to destruction, deterioration or serious damage, commits an offence.

A person who causes or procures or counsels or influences a worker to break the worker’s employment contract or an employer causing a lockout to be declared in any of the circumstances referred to in subsection (1) commits an offence.