Employers have warned that the proposed Employment Relations Bill fails to address Fiji’s ongoing skills and labour crisis, raising concerns about its impact on businesses and economic growth.
During the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs consultations, the Past President of Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, Sandeep Chauhan says businesses are struggling to find enough skilled workers, yet the Bill does not include provisions to expedite the recruitment and management of foreign workers, leaving factories and shops at risk of operational disruption.
He says the Bill lacks specific measures to promote employment opportunities for youth, women and persons with disabilities.
Chauhan says the current labour force participation rates highlight these challenges, with only 36.2 percent of women in the workforce and 26.6 percent of youth not engaged in employment, education or training.
Chauhan’s submission says that the Bill falls short of meeting the objectives of Fiji’s National Development Plan due to the ministry’s failure to consult, agree on, and articulate a clear policy direction for the amendment of the Employment Relations Act 2007.
He says as responsible employers, they understand and agree that they must comply with International Labour Organization conventions ratified by Fiji.
Chauhan says with more than 100 amendments proposed in the Bill, industry representatives warn that the effort and resources invested could have produced modern legislation capable of transforming Fiji’s employment landscape. He also questioned why nearly an entire Act is being overhauled without any guiding policy document, typically a prerequisite for substantial legislative change.
They are calling for a clear, evidence-based policy framework to guide labour law reform and urge for targeted amendments.
Consultations on the Bill continue.
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