Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the recent comments made by union leadership regarding the civil service reform agenda have made it increasingly apparent they have no concern for the well‑being of Fijian civil servants and a blatant disregard for the best interests of the Fijian people.
In a statement, Sayed-Khaiyum says for six months, the government has attempted on multiple documented occasions to meet with union leadership to formally begin the negotiation process, a necessary requirement by law for commencing the process of a secret ballot.
He says for six months, union leadership has stalled, dithered and ultimately failed to come to the negotiating table.
The Minister for Civil Service says rather than work constructively for the benefit of their membership, union leadership has instead chosen to violate the Amended Employment Relations Act 2015 by failing to enter into any negotiation process prior to proposing a secret ballot for strike.
He says it is deeply ironic that the Unions would put forward unfounded allegations that government had not adhered to regulations, when they themselves have so blatantly violated the law.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the government, in the absence of union leadership on this issue, has gone directly to the public and civil servants in its work to modernize the civil service, better recognize specialization and compensate civil servants at competitive market rates.
He says without any support from union leadership, civil servants have been granted pay rises of up to 70‑80 per cent for the first time in Fijian history and civil servants have greeted the reform agenda with an overwhelming positive response during the nationwide roadshow events.
Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji's eight straight years of economic growth have put the government in the position to grant these historic pay‑rises and offer favourable terms and conditions on contracts that exceed what is usually found in the private sector.
He says in the face of this progress, the union leadership has engaged in a desperate campaign to seek relevance.
The Minister says by proposing an unlawful strike, the union have attempted to hold the thriving economy hostage in the name of their own self‑interests and limit the economic prosperity that has yielded such tremendous benefits for their membership.
He says while fully aware that they have let deadlines lapse and have broken the law, the union leadership are also now grasping at straws by threatening to file a complaint with the International Labour Organisation to stall the implementation of the reforms and limit Fiji's economic potential.
Sayed-Khaiyum says these deliberate efforts by the union leadership to sabotage the reform agenda will not deter government in its work to increase the transparency and accountability of civil service administration and improve both workplace conditions and the services made available to the people.
He says government's support to civil servants will remain unwavering, as will their commitment to improve the Fijian civil service for the benefit of every Fijian.
Confederation of Public Sector Unions General Secretary Rajeshwar Singh is currently in a meeting and will comment soon.
The Registrar of Trade Unions has declared that the public sector unions cannot take a strike ballot as they have not entered into negotiations with the government regarding their grievances.
They do not want term contracts and want the same pay increment across the board for all civil servants.
The unions are now planning to organize rallies in different parts of the country from this week.
They will hold their first rally at FTA Hall in Suva at 5pm today.
Meanwhile Sayed-Khaiyum has a public session with nurses and other civil servants on the reforms at 10am today at the Sugar Cane Growers Council Hall in Lautoka.
