15,000 jobs are expected to be affected if the US authorities decide tomorrow that a special scheme that provides duty free access to Fiji exports are removed.
Fiji-US Business Council chairman David Voss has said that the 39 companies are concerned that their exports and workers will be greatly affected as there will be definite job losses.
Voss said the Fiji Trades Union Congress is behind this move as they want the decrees like the Essential National Industries Decree removed.
He questioned what purpose would this serve if many people lose their jobs when Fiji is removed from the scheme.
If the decision goes against Fiji in Washington DC tomorrow then it would stop us benefitting from the US Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Scheme and put 15,000 Fijian jobs at risk through loss of exports.
The government stated that the Fiji Trade Union Congress and other unions want to stop Fiji from benefitting from the US GSP Scheme which allows duty free access into the US imports from developing countries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said the unionists should stop using people for their own benefit.
We will speak to the FTUC later this afternoon.
Story by: Vijay Narayan and Filipe Naikaso
Feature
Real threat of over 15,000 job losses
