FTUC pushes Aspen Medical for wage talks

The Fiji Trades Union Congress is calling on Aspen Medical Fiji to get to the table and negotiate with the union and resolve the workers grievances in relation to improvements in the terms and conditions of work and for a raise in wages and salary without further escalation of the dispute and reach an amicable settlement.

However Aspen Medical says they have maintained an open and transparent dialogue with the Construction, Energy, Timber Workers Union of Fiji while providing comparable terms and conditions, including market rates, to its members.

FTUC General Secretary Felix Anthony says CETWUF filed its Log of Claims with Aspen on behalf of its members early this year for improvements in the terms and conditions of work, and for a raise in wages and salary.

He says unfortunately, Aspen has refused to hold discussions with CETWUF, leaving the union members with no option but to conduct secret ballots for industrial action and possibly go on strike if their grievances are not resolved.

Anthony further says the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad revealed in Parliament in June that FNPF was “ordered” to take an 80 percent stake in Health Care (Fiji) Pte Ltd as part of a Public-Private Partnership deal with Aspen Medical.

He says yet they understand that FNPF has no direct say or oversight in the operations of the business.

Anthony asks how is it that workers’ funds are invested by FNPF without any oversight.

He says the Deputy Prime Minister had also said that the Government was spending almost $10 million a month to pay for services rendered to patients by the two Aspen-managed hospitals.

The General Secretary says this is an incredible amount and there needs to be accountability and oversight.

Anthony says it is time that FNPF considered a national medical scheme for its members and families with additional contribution from members and subsidised by the Government.

FTUC is also calling for a full investigation into this investment and whether proper due diligence was conducted and who “ordered” FNPF to take the 80 percent stake as reported by the media and whether that was an abuse of office.

Anthony asks what returns, if any, did FNPF expect from this venture or did it simply invest to bail the previous Government out of the mess in our health services.

He says if that was the case, then the Board members who approved such an investment must be answerable and taken to task.

The General Secretary says it is time for FNPF to be transparent on this issue and others which may have been subject to such political orders.

He says the workers need to know if losses are expected and to what extent.

They are also questioning the role of the Reserve Bank of Fiji which has oversight of FNPF.

While responding to questions by fijivillage News, Aspen Medical says the welfare of their patients and team is their number one priority, and they will continue to seek a resolution through dialogue.

They say however, they will be putting in place contingency plans to ensure their services are not significantly affected by any CETWUF strike action, if that event arises.

They say of the funds mentioned in the media and by others in recent months, nearly all of this flows into the Fijian economy, not to Aspen Medical.

Aspen Medical says approximately 95 percent of that funding goes to wages and salaries, maintenance, travel, leases, power and water, consumables, suppliers, etc.

They say Aspen Medical retains a modest fee for managing the two hospitals, and they have made considerable progress over the past few years in uplifting these hospitals on behalf of the people of Fiji.

Aspen Medical adds there has been lots done, and there is more to come.

Questions have also been sent to FNFP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad and the Reserve Bank of Fiji.

They are yet to respond.