SODELPA parliamentarian Lynda Tabuya says the government should be working with unions and employers on economic recovery and not working on their own but Employment Minister Parveen Bala says they don't want people to be a part of this and start playing their politics.
During the debate on a motion for parliament to establish a special committee to inquire into the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, Tabuya says on 20th March this year, the Minister for Employment convened a meeting with the unions and employers plus the International Labour Organisation to open a dialogue on the impact of COVID-19.
Tabuya says she wants to congratulate the Fiji Employers Federation as well as the employees in what they have termed as the bi-bipartite recovery action.
She says on 1st July, FTUC and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation signed a memorandum of agreement jointly implementing their COVID-19 recovery joint initiatives.
Tabuya says the saving of the economy and people is by the employers and employees so they need to be brought to the table in terms of economic recovery and the special committee can help bring them together.
Minister for Employment Parveen Bala says he wants to remind Tabuya not to use parliament to lobby for the position of SODELPA's Deputy Party Leader.
Bala says, unfortunately, after the meeting, the unions were nowhere to be seen.
He says the money that was supposed to be given to the Ministry of Employment, the unions got that for their survey.
Bala claims the unions were not honest from day one.
Bala says the survey by the Ministry is work in progress and they will table that report in parliament.
