Fiji Trades Union Congress General Secretary Felix Anthony’s comments on the amendments to the Employment Relations Act, saying that real improvements cannot be achieved while workers continue to earn “poverty wages”, are very misleading.
This was highlighted by the Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, Edward Bernard, following a statement by Anthony who says that employers are using fear tactics whenever unions call for wage or labour law reviews.
Bernard says the review of the ERA was a crucial step to bringing Fiji into compliance with ILO Convention 144 on Tripartite Consultation.
He says FCEF had successfully lobbied for the draft Bill to be made public in January this year, which allowed the Federation to engage its members.
Bernard also stated that it is not right for the FTUC to keep saying that everything must match international rules exactly, even if it means higher fines and strict criminal penalties.
He adds that if there are still any parts of the law that do not meet ILO standards, no one has yet shown a proper report or gap analysis to prove it.
Meanwhile, Anthony told fijivillage News that the new labour laws are a commitment that the Fijian Government gave to the ILO, and the employers are obligated to its conventions.
He says every member of the ILO is obligated to respect these ILO conventions.
He also says there is a need for greater investment in training, upskilling, and fair wage structures, adding that productivity cannot simply be legislated.
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