The Fiji Roads Authority emphasizes that it is committed to addressing the concerns raised by the Construction Energy Timber Workers Union, where FRA employees who are members of the Union have overwhelmingly voted to take possible strike action.
FRA Board Chairman Atunaisa Nayago says it is evident from the recent statements issued by the Union on their social media platforms and subsequent media releases that their discussions have reached a deadlock.
Nayago says FRA prefers to invoke this mechanism to manage the current impasse, ensuring that all issues are handled in a manner that upholds the integrity of both parties.
He adds resolving disputes through public media statements is neither productive nor professional, and such actions can lead to misinformation, unnecessary public concern, and unwarranted pressure on both parties.
The Chairman says resorting to media outlets to air grievances may be perceived as an attempt to harass or coerce the other party, which does not contribute to a constructive resolution.
Nayago says FRA remains open to continued dialogue with the Union within the appropriate legal framework and is committed to finding a resolution that is in the best interest of all stakeholders involved.
He says they encourage the Union to engage in this dispute resolution process to reach a fair and amicable outcome.
Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh says they are looking to solve this issue through voluntary mediation.
Singh says he has spoken to the Union General Secretary and has been assured that they will attend their meeting next week.
The Minister is positive that FRA will attend this meeting.
He also highlighted that all mediations they have conducted have successfully brought closure, and negotiations have been successful.
Meanwhile, the employees of Fiji Roads Authority FRA, who are members of the Construction Energy and Timber Workers Union of Fiji (CETWUF), have overwhelmingly voted to take possible strike action.
The Union represents workers in the construction and infrastructure development industry.
The Union says the Fiji Roads Authority is a government authority formed in 2012 and fully funded by the government.
They say the Government provided funding of more than $4 billion since its inception in 2012, and in early 2023, the workers of FRA joined their Union, and a series of discussions took place between the workers and the Union in respect of their terms and conditions.
They also say that it was shocking to note that FRA, which is funded by millions of dollars of taxpayers' money, did not have a salary structure or a Performance Management System in place.
The Union adds it was further revealed that FRA will pick and choose a limited number of workers for increment and discriminate the rest.
They say during their discussion with the management, they have refused to consider their claims for a salary increase based on the Union's claim for cost-of-living adjustments, which has not been applied since 2017.
The Union says when the Coalition Government came into power, it announced the removal of the contract-based appointments in civil service.
They say it is disturbing to note that government-owned 100 percent funded organizations such as FRA are refusing to let go of contract-based appointments when there is a severe shortage of workers in the construction industry.
They add that it is more disturbing to note that FRA hides behind some legal advice which it pays for from taxpayers' funds to stubbornly refuse removal of contract-based appointments.
The Union is also concerned that FRA has not appointed a full-time CEO since the resignation of the last CEO in early 2023.
They say an organization of this magnitude cannot operate with day-to-day interference from the board in the absence of a qualified CEO.
They further say that they had conducted a secret ballot for strike action last month under the supervision of Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Officers in FRA workstations around the country.
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